Accepted Answer

Hello XXXXXXXX,

The house that you purchase in FL does not have to be homesteaded for you to claim FL as your resident state. And your tax rate on the home will have nothing to do with the previous owner's residency or tax status.

Every person who owns and resides on real property in Florida on January 1 and makes the property their permanent residence is eligible to receive a homestead exemption up to $50,000. The first $25,000 applies to all property taxes, including school district taxes. The additional exemption up to $25,000, applies to the assessed value between $50,000 and $75,000 and only to non-school taxes.

If you intend to make FL your resident state and the home in FL will be used as your primary residence, then sometime between January 1st and March 1st following your purchase, you can file for the homestead exemption for that current year.

Here is a link to a section of the FL state website which explains this exemption in a little more detail, and questions you can expect to answer when filing for this exemption.

http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/property/exemptions.html

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Thank you XXXXXXXX

Expert:	Merlo
Pos. Feedback:	99.8 %
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Answered:	10/8/2009

Accountant

25+ years tax consulting. Specializing in returns for US citizens living abroad