Homeowner Handbook › Owning a home › Homestead exemption
Part 1 · Owning a home in South Hillsborough
Homestead Exemption and Property Taxes in Hillsborough County
By Linda Reynolds · Last reviewed November 2026
In this chapter
The short version · What homestead does for you · Who qualifies · How and when to apply · Your filing checklist · For homeowners 65 and older · If you’re moving
The short version
If your Sun City Center, Ruskin, Apollo Beach, or Wimauma home is your permanent residence, the homestead exemption can lower your property tax bill and limit how fast your taxed value rises each year. You apply with the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser by March 1, and once it’s in place it generally renews automatically as long as you keep living there.
What homestead does for you
Homestead does two things. First, it reduces the taxable value of your home, which lowers your annual bill. Second, it turns on Florida’s Save Our Homes protection. After your first homestead year, increases in your assessed value are capped at 3% or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower, even when market values climb quickly.
Over several years, that cap is often where homeowners see the biggest difference. It resets when the home sells, which is worth keeping in mind when you compare the taxes on a home you’re buying with what the current owner pays.
Who qualifies
You qualify if, as of January 1 of the tax year, you hold title to the home, live in it, and have made it your permanent legal residence in Hillsborough County. Applicants need to be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Additional exemptions may also be available for seniors, surviving spouses, veterans, and homeowners with disabilities.
If you bought your home after January 1, you’ll apply for the following tax year.
How and when to apply
Close on your home and move in. Your residency date matters, so keep your closing and move-in records together.
Update your address. Get a Florida driver license showing your new home, and update your voter registration if you’re registered.
Apply with the Property Appraiser by March 1. You can file online or in person at the Property Appraiser’s office. Questions? Call (813) 272-6100.
If March 1 falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day. The Property Appraiser may accept late applications for a short window after proposed tax notices go out in August, but it’s far easier to file on time.
Your filing checklist
Have these ready when you apply:
- Social Security numbers for you, your spouse, and any other owner living in the home
- Florida driver license (a license marked “Valid in Florida” doesn’t count)
- Proof of citizenship or residency status, such as your voter registration or permanent resident card
- The property address, a tax bill, or your deed
- Trust language showing your beneficial interest, if the home is held in a trust
- For a manufactured or mobile home: the title or registration, plus the deed to the land
For full details, see the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser’s homestead page.
For homeowners 65 and older
Hillsborough County offers an additional Low-Income Senior Exemption. At least one owner must be 65 or older on January 1, the home must already have homestead, and the household’s income for the prior year must fall under a limit that’s adjusted each year. Sun City Center, Ruskin, Apollo Beach, and Wimauma are in unincorporated Hillsborough County, where this exemption can be worth up to $50,000 in taxable value.
You apply by March 1 with a separate form, and it renews automatically as long as you continue to meet the income limit. The Property Appraiser’s office can confirm the current limit and what paperwork to bring.
If you’re moving
If you sell a Florida homestead and buy a new one, portability may let you carry some of your Save Our Homes savings to the new home. It isn’t automatic: you file a portability application along with your new homestead application, and Hillsborough lets you do both online. If you’re downsizing or moving within Florida, it’s worth planning for before you list.
Falling behind on taxes or payments?
You’re not the first, and you have more options than you might think. This guide walks through them calmly, one at a time.
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Equal Housing Opportunity. This handbook offers general information, not legal, tax, insurance, or financial advice. Requirements can change, so please confirm details with the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser.