Florida Property Tax Portability Review

Divorce Has
Property Tax Consequences.
Do You Know Yours?

The Save Our Homes benefit on a Florida homestead can represent hundreds of thousands of dollars in accumulated tax savings. In a divorce, that asset needs to be identified, valued, and accounted for — before the settlement is finalized.

Homeowners Going Through Divorce Family Law Attorneys & Paralegals Mediators & Financial Advisors
The Issue

Florida's Save Our Homes Benefit Is a Real Asset in a Divorce

Florida's Save Our Homes law caps annual assessed value increases at 3% for homesteaded properties. Over time, this creates a significant gap between the assessed value and the true market value — and that gap represents real, ongoing tax savings.

In a divorce, how that benefit is handled — whether the homestead is abandoned, who keeps the home, and whether portability is transferred — has direct financial consequences for both parties. Most settlements never address it.

We determine whether a meaningful portability benefit exists, calculate its annual savings and present cash value, and explain what's at stake before any decisions are made.

⚠️ Example

A home with a market value of $750,000 and an assessed value of $350,000 carries a $400,000 Save Our Homes benefit — generating an estimated $6,000 per year in tax savings and a present cash value of approximately $46,000. That's a real asset in a settlement.

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Save Our Homes Cap

Caps annual assessment increases at 3% or CPI. After years of appreciation, this creates a large gap between assessed and market value — and substantial ongoing tax savings.

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Portability

The accumulated SOH benefit (up to $500,000) can be transferred to a new homestead. In a divorce, how it's split — or preserved — depends entirely on how the homestead is handled in the settlement.

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Abandonment & Reassessment

To transfer portability, the homestead must be formally abandoned — triggering a reassessment at full market value. This has consequences for the spouse who keeps the home, and those need to be understood before the deed changes.

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Settlement Implications

The present cash value of the portability benefit can be calculated and used in settlement negotiations — either as a marital asset to divide, or as a factor in deciding who keeps the home.

Why It Matters

What Most Divorcing Homeowners Don't Know

Florida's property tax benefits are some of the most valuable in the country — and the most easily lost during a divorce.

01

The Assessed Value Gap

Years of Save Our Homes protection can mean a home is assessed far below market value. A transfer resets that protection — permanently.

02

Portability Doesn't Auto-Transfer

Accumulated savings must be properly accounted for in settlement to preserve their value for whoever keeps the home.

03

Attorneys Often Miss This

Property tax impact is a financial detail that regularly falls through the cracks in divorce proceedings — even with experienced counsel.

$500K
Maximum Portability Benefit Under Florida Law
Accumulated savings that can be preserved — or lost — in a divorce
A home assessed at $250K due to years of Save Our Homes protection could jump to a $500K+ market assessment after a transfer — meaning the spouse who keeps it could face a drastically higher tax bill starting year one.
The Full Report

What the Full Portability Review Includes

A written report based on current public records data — specific to the property, usable in settlement discussions, and delivered with 30 minutes of consultation.

The Analysis

  • Current market value, assessed value & taxable value
  • Save Our Homes benefit calculation
  • Portability value (up to $500K statutory cap)
  • Estimated annual property tax savings
  • Present cash value of the portability benefit
  • Implications of abandoning vs. keeping the homestead
  • Portability split scenarios
  • County-specific interpretation notes where relevant

Delivery & Support

  • Written report in PDF format
  • Suitable for use in attorney-client meetings and mediation
  • 30-minute post-delivery consultation included
  • Based on most current public records data
  • Quick turnaround times
  • Not legal or financial advice — complements your legal counsel

Not sure if you need the report?

Start with the free initial check. We'll review the property, confirm whether a meaningful portability benefit exists, and let you know if the full report makes sense for your situation. If there's nothing to report on, we'll tell you that upfront.

Get Started

Choose Your Path

Select the option that fits where you are. Either way, we review the property and follow up directly.

Free Portability Check
No cost

Submit the property info and we will check whether a meaningful portability benefit exists. We will follow up with what we find.

Portability Valuation Report
$1,250

You are ready for the full written analysis. Submit below and we will send an invoice before starting the report.

Includes:
  • SOH benefit and portability value calculation
  • Annual tax savings and present cash value
  • Abandonment vs. retention analysis
  • Written report plus 30-min consultation
Prefer to call?
(904) 900-4072

Free Portability Check

Takes 2 minutes - we will do the rest

Your information is kept confidential and will never be shared. This is not legal advice.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

You submit the property info and we look it up. We check whether the property has a meaningful Save Our Homes / portability benefit worth analyzing. If it does, we let you know and recommend the full report. If there's no portability to speak of, we tell you that — no charge, no pressure. It's a quick way to find out if the full report is even relevant before spending anything.
Save Our Homes (SOH) is a Florida constitutional amendment that caps annual increases in a homesteaded property's assessed value at 3% or CPI — whichever is lower. Over years, this creates a large gap between the assessed value and market value, resulting in significant ongoing tax savings. In a divorce, this benefit is tied to the homestead and can be transferred, split, or lost depending on how ownership changes. Most settlements never account for it.
Portability allows Florida homeowners to transfer up to $500,000 of their accumulated SOH benefit to a new homestead. In a divorce, if the homestead is abandoned, the benefit is generally split 50/50 — unless both parties agree otherwise and file a DR-501TS with the property appraiser's office. If one spouse keeps the home without abandonment, that spouse retains 100% of the SOH benefit and the full portability amount for their future use.
Abandoning the homestead triggers a reassessment at full market value for the following tax year. This removes the Save Our Homes cap and can significantly increase the property tax bill for whoever keeps the home. It also enables portability to be transferred — but the tradeoff needs to be carefully weighed. In some cases, the value of leaving the SOH cap in place on the marital home is greater than what either party would gain from splitting the portability benefit.
Yes — significantly. While Florida statutes provide the framework, individual county property appraiser offices can interpret and administer portability differently. The report flags county-specific considerations where relevant, and we can speak to known variations during the post-delivery consultation.
No. We are property tax consultants. This report is an informational and analytical tool based on public records data and Florida property tax law. It does not constitute legal or financial advice and is intended to support — not replace — qualified legal counsel. We recommend working with your attorney to incorporate our findings into the settlement.
We invoice you after you submit the intake form. No upfront payment is required. Once we receive the form and confirm the order, we'll send an invoice. The report is delivered after the invoice is settled, along with scheduling for your 30-minute consultation.