Florida weighs ditching property taxes and sticking Canadians with the bill
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is pushing a ballot measure to eliminate property taxes for primary residents, a move that could force local governments to seek new revenue sources. This shift may disproportionately impact non-resident property owners, including many Canadians who own significant real estate in the state.
Why it matters
The proposal represents a major shift in tax policy that could have significant financial implications for international property investors and local government funding models.
Canadians who own property in Florida describe the threats to shake them down for more money as just the latest insult in a series of them since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to power last year with a decidedly anti-Canada agenda.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has railed against property taxes, which fund local governments and the services they provide — law enforcement, fire, EMS, disaster preparation and mosquito control, among many others — equating them to a form of modern-day feudalism where homeowners must "pony up money to the government just for the courtesy of using your own property."
To end this, DeSantis is pushing Amendment 3, a ballot measure crafted by his Republican statehouse allies that will be put to voters in the midterm election next month.
If passed, Florida "homesteaders," as permanent residents are called, will see a dramatic increase in an existing property tax exemption.
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