$5,000 Property Tax Exemption for Veterans with a 10% or Greater Disability
Removes $5,000 from the taxable value of property you own. It is not limited to your homestead.
Verified August 15, 2026
What this benefit is
A $5,000 reduction in the taxable value of property you own. Unlike most of chapter 196, this one is not limited to your homestead.
Read that carefully: it is $5,000 off the value your taxes are calculated on, not $5,000 off your tax bill. At Florida's typical 15 to 22 mills the real annual value is roughly $75 to $110.
What it's worth: $5,000 reduction in your property's taxable value
- This is $5,000 off your taxable value, not $5,000 off your tax bill.
- At Florida's typical 15–22 mills the real annual value is roughly $75–$110.
Who is entitled to it
- A veteran discharged under honorable conditions — a broader test than §196.081's "honorable".
- With a service-connected disability rated 10% or more.
- Who served during a wartime period as defined in Fla. Stat. §1.01(14).
- And who was a Florida resident on January 1.
Not sure whether that describes you?
Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.
The thing most people get wrong
The causation test is broader than counties tend to say
The statute covers disability that is service-connected OR incurred "by misfortune" during wartime service. That disjunction is wider than most county guidance implies, and it is worth pointing at if you are told your disability does not count.
How to claim it
Deadline: March 1- 1File Form DR-501 with your county property appraiser before March 1.
- Form
- DR-501
- File with
- Your county property appraiser
- Documents you will need
- va letter rating 10 plus · dd214
- Renews automatically
- A renewal card mails by February 1. Re-file on sale, ownership change, or a change in your status.
- Staying silent after a change can cost 10 years of back taxes plus 15%/yr interest and a 50% penalty.
You can file before your VA letter arrives.
Walk me through itCommon mistakes that cost people this benefit
- Expecting $5,000 back. Any source telling you this saves $5,000 a year is overstating it by roughly fifty times.
- Assuming it needs to be your homestead. It does not — this one attaches to property you own.
- Not applying at 10%. This is the lowest disability threshold in Florida law.
Questions people ask
- What is this actually worth to me?
- Multiply $5,000 by your county's millage and divide by 1,000. Your own county page shows the figure — it ranges from about $30 a year in Monroe County to about $85 in St. Lucie, using the Department of Revenue's 2025 county-wide rates. If your home is inside a city the rate is higher still.
- I have a general discharge under honorable conditions. Do I qualify?
- For this one, yes. §196.24 uses the broader standard. Note that §196.081 does not.
Sources
- authority · statuteFla. Stat. §196.24
Why only one source type: The statute is the authority. DOR publishes no exemption-specific operating page for this one beyond the DR-501 itself.
This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.