• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents

2

Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026

3

Current price of silver as of Monday, July 13, 2026

1

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents

2

Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026

3

Current price of silver as of Monday, July 13, 2026
Personal FinanceFlorida

UBS says Ron DeSantis has a problem with his plan to help 92% of homeowners save on property taxes: His own state’s data

Nick Lichtenberg
By
Nick Lichtenberg
Nick Lichtenberg
Business Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
Nick Lichtenberg
By
Nick Lichtenberg
Nick Lichtenberg
Business Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 28, 2026, 12:31 PM ET
ron
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis attends the Boom Belt: A Return to First Principles in Public Markets conference on April 7, 2026, in Miami, Florida.Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Governor Ron DeSantis is selling his marquee property tax proposal with a bold promise: expand Florida’s homestead exemption to $500,000 and eliminate property taxes for 92% of homeowners in the state. But analysts at investment bank UBS are pumping the brakes, and they’re using Florida’s own government data to do it.

Recommended Video

In a research note published Wednesday, UBS flagged a notable discrepancy between the numbers DeSantis cited and those from the Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research, the state’s own fiscal analysis arm. According to the governor, lifting the homestead exemption to $250,000 would wipe out property taxes for roughly 60% of Florida homeowners. But the state’s own data tells a more modest story: only about 28% of homesteaded properties in Florida are valued at $250,000 or less. At the $500,000 threshold—again, where DeSantis promised 92% coverage—Florida’s own data pegs the share at just 75% to 80%.

That’s a gap of more than 12 percentage points between the governor’s headline promise and what independent state analysis supports.

Currently, the homestead exemption sits at $50,000, affecting just 0.5% of all homestead parcels in the state. DeSantis called a special legislative session to advance the proposal, which would start by raising the homestead exemption to $250,000, with a path toward $500,000 over time. To become law, it would need 60% approval from state lawmakers, followed by 60% voter approval on the November ballot. A residency requirement of at least five years would apply to new Florida residents.

Separate reporting from the Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research found that about 28% of homestead parcels have a median assessed value of $250,000 or below, an even sharper contrast to DeSantis’s figure. Redfin data from March put Florida’s median home sale price at $416,800.

UBS analysts did not dismiss the proposal entirely. The firm said the plan “could positively impact affordability” in the state, pointing to initial estimates based on county appraiser data, suggesting average annual property tax savings of $1,800 in Broward County and $1,500 in Miami-Dade. The analysts also noted the legislation could act as a tailwind for public homebuilders with significant Florida exposure, including Lennar, D.R. Horton, and PulteGroup, each of which derives between 17% and 25% of its estimated 2025 deliveries from the state.

The proposal is not without precedent, or failure. In February, the Florida House passed a version of non-school homestead property tax elimination, only to see it die in the state Senate. Skeptics, including former state Senator Jeff Brandes, have questioned whether the plan fully accounts for its fiscal impact on local governments, noting that property taxes currently fund schools, police, and firefighters across Florida’s counties.

House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, a Democrat from Tampa, said the proposal could take from the very thing DeSantis wants to fund.

“Any cut, even though it might seem small in the grand scheme of things, could be devastating. There is no plan to make our local governments whole on the back end,” Driskell said on Tuesday. “Property taxes cover the costs of law enforcement and first responders. They make sure that you can visit the library without having to pay a fee. Once you start explaining these things, you start to understand that property taxes are not the real enemy here.”

DeSantis has proposed a trust funded by surplus state revenue to help rural counties offset lost revenue, but critics say details remain thin on how that fund would scale to cover the broader shortfall if the exemption expands to $500,000.

For this story, Fortune journalists used generative AI as a research tool. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing. This report has been updated to correct a reference to the amount of homesteaded properties in Florida valued at $250,000 or less, which was misstated in the UBS note: it is 28%, not 47%.

The Fortune 500 Innovation Forum will convene Fortune 500 executives, U.S. policy officials, top founders, and thought leaders to help define what’s next for the American economy, Nov. 16-17 in Detroit. Apply here.
About the Author
Nick Lichtenberg
By Nick LichtenbergBusiness Editor
LinkedIn icon

Nick Lichtenberg is business editor and was formerly Fortune's executive editor of global news.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Personal Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Personal Finance

Top CD rates today, July 14, 2026: Lock in up to up to 4.40%
Personal FinanceBanks
Top CD rates today, July 14, 2026: Lock in up to up to 4.40%
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 14, 2026
2 hours ago
Current price of gold as of July 14, 2026
Personal Financegold prices
Current price of gold as of July 14, 2026
By Danny BakstJuly 14, 2026
2 hours ago
The top high-yield savings rates: Up to 4.50% on July 14, 2026
Personal FinanceSavings accounts
The top high-yield savings rates: Up to 4.50% on July 14, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 14, 2026
2 hours ago
Top CD rates from major banks July 14, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates from major banks on July 14, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 14, 2026
5 hours ago
Current price of Ethereum for July 14, 2026
Personal FinanceEthereum
Current price of Ethereum for July 14, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 14, 2026
5 hours ago
Current price of Bitcoin for July 14, 2026
Personal FinanceCryptocurrency
Current price of Bitcoin for July 14, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 14, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
Innovation
The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 12, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 13, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 13, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 13, 2026
1 day ago
How Pete Hegseth's DEI order just put Scouting America's future at stake
North America
How Pete Hegseth's DEI order just put Scouting America's future at stake
By Seth T. Kannarr, Derek H. Alderman and The ConversationJuly 13, 2026
20 hours ago
Current price of gold as of July 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of July 13, 2026
By Danny BakstJuly 13, 2026
1 day ago
The U.S. and Iran can't agree on fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The solution could be straight out of the Old Testament
Middle East
The U.S. and Iran can't agree on fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The solution could be straight out of the Old Testament
By Jason MaJuly 11, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.