On November 3, Florida voters decide Amendment 3, the biggest change to how homes here are taxed in years. It needs at least 60% of the vote to pass, and if it does, it takes effect January 1, 2027. I’m not going to tell you how to vote. I sell homes in Boca Raton, and my clients keep asking what this actually does to them, so here is the plain version, from the official ballot language and Palm Beach County’s own officials.
What Amendment 3 does
The official ballot title is “Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments.” If it passes:
- The homestead exemption for non-school taxes rises to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, then adjusts for inflation starting in 2029. Today it is up to $50,000.
- School taxes don’t change. The homestead exemption for the school portion of your bill stays at $25,000.
- New Florida residents wait. People who are not Florida residents on December 31, 2026 get the existing exemption when they qualify, and the larger one starting in their fifth year of exemption, “to the extent permitted by the U.S. Constitution.”
- Rentals, second homes and commercial property get a lower cap. The annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead property drops from 10% to 5%.
- Local governments get limits on how property-tax money is spent: public safety, education and schools, infrastructure, natural resources, bond debt, employee retirement, and operations and administration.
- Cities and counties could go further. The Legislature would set a procedure letting counties and municipalities raise the homestead exemption on their own levies, up to a home’s full assessed value.
What it does not do
It does not eliminate property taxes. Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Dorothy Jacks put it this way: “It is a tax reduction,” but “it is not an elimination.” You would keep paying the school board portion of your tax bill.
It also leaves Save Our Homes in place. Jacks has said the amendment does not take away the protection that generally limits a homestead’s assessed value increase to 3% a year. And if it fails, nothing changes: current property tax laws stay as they are.
What it could save a Palm Beach County homeowner
According to Jacks, today’s homestead exemption saves the average homeowner in the county about $800 a year. She estimates that could grow to roughly $1,500 to $2,000 in 2027 and $3,000 to $3,500 in 2028, depending on where you live, because the savings depend on your local tax rates.
The only number that matters is yours. The Property Appraiser has a free calculator that estimates it for your exact property: pbcpao.gov Amendment 3 calculator. It covers homes that already have a homestead exemption.
If you’re moving to Florida
This is the part most buyers miss. If you are not a Florida resident on December 31, 2026, you would start with the current exemption and only get the larger one in your fifth year of exemption. Many of the buyers I meet in Lotus Edge, Lotus Palm and the rest of West Boca are relocating from out of state, so the date you establish Florida residency could affect your tax bill for years. That is a question for your tax advisor, and worth asking before you set a move-in date.
If you own a rental or a second home
A second home or investment property doesn’t get the bigger homestead exemption, because the exemption only applies to a permanent residence. What changes is the cap: assessed value increases on non-homestead property would be limited to 5% a year instead of 10%.
There is a real debate about what happens next. Palm Beach County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo estimates the county could lose nearly $250 million a year once the measure is fully in place. He has said commissioners would have to weigh spending cuts, higher fees for services, or shifting more of the burden to non-homestead property, and has called it “not a tax decrease; it’s simply a tax shift.” If you own rental property, watch the 2027 budget hearings closely.
What it means if you’re selling
A larger homestead exemption makes owning a primary home here cheaper to carry, and lower carrying costs are something buyers notice. Two things don’t change: a buyer’s assessed value still resets when they buy, and Florida’s existing portability rules still let a homeowner who sells and buys again in Florida carry part of their Save Our Homes savings to the next home. If you’re thinking about moving up within Boca, ask me how portability works for your home before you list. It can be a large number.
If you want to know where your home stands today, I’ll run the numbers with you: what is my house worth, or get in touch. For the January 1 homestead filing deadline, see my earlier post on the Amendment 3 property tax deadline. Community details are on my Lotus Edge and Lotus Palm pages.
Where to check the details
- Your assessed value or homestead exemption: the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser, 561-355-2866, or the Amendment 3 calculator (which also shows the full ballot language).
- Voting questions: the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections.
- Your own situation: a tax professional. Nothing in this post is tax or legal advice.
Sources: Palm Beach County Property Appraiser, Amendment 3 ballot language and calculator; CBS12 interviews with Property Appraiser Dorothy Jacks (August 10, 2026) and County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo (August 31, 2026); CBS12 on the court-ordered ballot title (August 14, 2026). Figures are estimates and depend on your property and local tax rates.