Hillsborough County property taxes and the homestead exemption.

The median property tax bill on a Hillsborough County listing is $4,760 a year, across 12,941 listings. That's the current owner's bill. On homes that sold, it came to about 1.03% of the sale price when the owner had a homestead exemption and 1.51% when they didn't. Rates vary by city and district: City of Tampa 19.8428 mills, unincorporated 18.2515 mills (2025 rates).

You file with the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser, and you can file online. The home has to be your permanent residence on January 1, and the deadline is March 1. The office asks for: A Florida driver license (not one marked "Valid in Florida"); Proof of citizenship or residency, such as voter registration or a permanent resident card; The property address and a tax bill or deed; Social Security numbers for you, your spouse and any owner living there. Questions go to (813) 272-6100. Missed March 1? Florida law still lets you file late, up to 25 days after the TRIM notice (the proposed tax notice, usually mailed in August), and if the appraiser denies it you can petition the value adjustment board.

Up to $51,411 comes off your assessed value: the first $25,000 off every tax, and the next $26,411 off non-school taxes (2026 amounts). At Hillsborough County rates that's roughly $853 a year on a typical home in City of Tampa. The bigger savings come later: once you have it, the Save Our Homes cap keeps your assessed value from rising more than 3% a year, or the rate of inflation if that's lower.

The listing shows the seller's bill, and if they've had a homestead for years, the Save Our Homes cap has been holding their taxable value down. That cap resets when the home sells, so your first full bill is based on something close to what you paid. Budget off the calculator on this page, not the listing.