Florida voters’ recent approval of Constitutional Amendment 5 changed the qualifications for the Long-Term Resident Senior Exemption.
The requirement for property values to be less than $250,000, now only applies to the first year in qualifying for the exemption.
Those seniors who lost the Long-Term Resident Senior Exemption solely as a result of the property market value increasing over $250,000 may now apply for a refund for the year or years they lost the exemption. This amendment greatly favors seniors with fixed income, and protects them if at any time after qualification, their property increases in value. “I would like to thank the House and Senate for unanimously passing this bill — and a special ‘thank you’ to Sen. Anitere Flores and Rep. Bryan Avila for their leadership,” said Pedro J. Garcia, Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser.
“I was very pleased that Florida voters approved this important amendment, which helps those in our communities who need it the most, our low-income seniors,”Garcia added.
To help qualified property owners claim the refund for the Long-Term Resident Senior Exemption, the Property Appraiser has begun mailing out a preprinted Application for Refund of Ad Valorem Taxes form to those seniors who are eligible. The seniors who receive this application, only need to verify their information, ensure they continue to meet the income and residence requirements specified in the accompanying letter, and sign and return the application to the office in the pre-addressed envelope.
If property owners have any questions, they are encouraged to call the Property Appraiser’s Office at 305-375-4712.
