Page 23 - q3 2020

Amendment 6
Benefit to Spouses of Deceased Disabeled Veterans
So as it is right now - Homestead is received by the spouse, but only the normal homestead exemption benefits every Florida Resident can receive. With this amendment passing, we would see the Veterans homestead exemption being inherited by the spouse until the spouse decides to leave their current home, remarries, or sells their current home.
There has been a whole plot of passed amendments over the past 20 years in Florida pertaining to veterans and homestead laws and as a good agent, it is essential to read up on them.
Find more information and additional veteran home- stead rulings here:
https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_Amendment_6,_ Homestead_Property_Tax_Discount_for_Spouses_ of_Deceased_Veterans_Amendment_(2020)#Home- stead_tax_discounts_for_veterans_in_Florida
Go out and VOTE!
By Kevin Weinkauff, BER’s Education/ Communications Director
Did You Know?
• This amendment passed in the Florida House of Rep- resentatives with 100% of active members voting yes (71 Republican and 44 Democrat votes)
• This amendment needs a “Supermajority Vote” to be approved. A Supermajority needs 60% of all votes to
• be yes in order for this amendment to get passed.
• If passed - The amendment will take effect during the
• next homestead cycle on January 1st, 2021.
• Homestead has been altered in the Florida Constitu- tion 12 times since 1980.
Every election cycle we find that there are some issues that in all honesty should be pushed through without
a vote, but with how Florida handles its voting, this is an issue that has found its way onto the 2020 ballot. All Americans across both isles want to take care of our veterans and their families and this is just another one of those additional benefits I think most people can agree on.
Brief Homestead Synopsis:
Homestead makes it more affordable for a Florida Resident to live by minimizing the tax burden on the state’s homeowners. Homestead (If the homeowner goes through the process of filing for it and receiving the benefit) exempts the first $25,000 in the assessed value of the property, fully taxes the next $25,000 in assessed value, exempts the next $25,000 asides from the school district taxes and taxes the rest normally.
Through homestead exemption, you can get $50,000
of your $75,000+ home exempt from being taxed. All agents need to be very familiar with homestead laws and if not - Our instructor Ned Hale teaches a great class going all over homestead exemption from head to toe.
What this amendment aims to do is to increase the flex- ibility of homestead and help those affected by losing
a loved one who is a veteran. Currently, the additional homestead property tax discounts veterans receive are set to expire upon the veteran’s death and is not some- thing that is extended to their spouses.
The additional benefits to veterans are dependent upon their honorable discharge status and any disabilities attained during their time in service.
There is a lot of variances when it comes to the addi- tional homestead benefits for these individuals but it is based on percentages of disability.