JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More than 24,000 Duval County homeowners who appear to potentially qualify for Florida’s homestead exemption have not filed for the tax-saving benefit, according to a News4JAX I-TEAM analysis.
The I-TEAM reviewed Duval County’s current tax roll, comparing property owners’ mailing addresses with the addresses of the homes they own. The analysis identified more than 24,000 homeowners whose mailing address matched the property address and did not own another property in the county — suggesting the home may be their primary residence — but who did not have a homestead exemption on file.
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A homestead exemption lowers the taxable value of a primary residence, reducing a homeowner’s property tax bill. The exemption can save homeowners hundreds of dollars each year and may provide additional long-term savings through Florida’s Save Our Homes assessment cap, which limits the amount a home’s assessed value can rise in one year.
To better understand why so many homeowners may be missing out on the benefit, News4JAX went door-to-door with local property tax expert Casey Vockell, co-owner of My Exemption Check.
“There’s usually one in every room that should have filed that has not,” Vockell said.
The data showed that the neighborhood we went to has a high number of homes where owners may be missing out on the homestead exemption. After knocking on multiple doors, we met a Jacksonville homeowner who said he had lived in his home for eight years but never filed for a homestead exemption because he believed it happened automatically.
“I’ve heard of it,” the homeowner said. “I thought that was a given automatic.”
Vockell explained that homeowners must apply for the exemption and that the process can be completed online through the Duval County Property Appraiser’s Office.
“So I did pull up your property and confirm that there is not an exemption on there for 2026,” Vockell told the homeowner. “You can go online to the Duval County Property Appraiser’s website, fill out their information if you’re eligible, which it seems like you are if this is your primary residence, and they can get it approved.”
Although the standard filing deadline passed in March, Vockell noted that homeowners can still submit a late application through mid-September.
The homeowner, who is also a military veteran, said he believes more awareness is needed.
“They should definitely put that out there,” he said.
The I-TEAM calculated that the homeowner may have missed out on roughly $6,000 in homestead exemption tax savings over the past eight years. Because he also did not receive Florida’s Save Our Homes assessment cap, his total lost tax savings could be substantially higher.
The News4JAX findings did not surprise Duval County Property Appraiser Joyce Morgan.
“No, I’m not shocked at all,” Morgan said when asked about the more than 24,000 properties identified by the I-TEAM.
Morgan said her office regularly conducts outreach efforts to encourage homeowners to apply.
“We are constantly doing community outreach. We are constantly sending out mailers,” Morgan said.
She added that helping homeowners identify available exemptions remains an ongoing effort.
“It’s a task that we do every single day. We’re always looking for that person who has not filed for Homestead Exemption, but we really need people to pay attention, just pay attention,” Morgan said.
During our door-knocking effort, we tried to reach about 20 homeowners and identified three people who said they planned to check their eligibility and apply for a homestead exemption.
Vockell estimated each homeowner could save roughly $900 annually.
“I would say each one probably averages about $900 a year, so you’re looking at about $2,400 to $2,500 in annual savings that we’ve just got people in a pretty short amount of time today,” he said.
How to apply and check your exemptions
If you’re not sure if you have a homestead exemption, search for your home address on the Duval County Property Appraiser’s website, or your respective county property appraiser.
From there, look for your “value summary.” If your exemptions are listed as $0, that means you have not filed your homestead. If you have filed, your exemptions should be listed at around $50,000, or potentially more, if you qualify for other exemptions as well.
Homeowners can apply for a homestead exemption through the Duval County Property Appraiser’s Office. Applicants will need a Florida driver’s license or other qualifying documentation, and the property must be their primary residence.
Homeowners who need assistance filing can also visit the Property Appraiser’s Office in person.
Below are links to all northeast Florida property appraisers, their property search pages, and their homestead exemption applications. Some counties have a way to file for homestead directly from the website, while others have an application that must be mailed in or turned in.