Florida could slash property taxes – but not for Canadian snowbirds

Florida is considering a constitutional amendment, Amendment 3, that could significantly reduce property taxes for residents, but not for Canadian snowbirds. The proposal, put forth by Governor Ron DeSantis, aims to amend the state's constitution to raise the homestead tax exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. Even more ambitiously, starting in 2029, the exemption would increase automatically each year, indexed to inflation.

DeSantis has suggested that he intends to raise taxes on residential, Airbnb, and commercial properties to compensate for the projected $12 billion tax shortfall.

If the amendment passes with a 60% supermajority, it could lead to critical service cuts across Florida's cities and towns, including fire departments, police, and mosquito-borne disease control. Evan Rachkovsky, a spokesperson for the Canadian Snowbirds Association, cautions that the amendment provides a more measured approach than the initial proposal.

Currently, property taxes for non-homesteaders, including Canadians, typically rise around 1-2% annually, but the cap is currently capped at 10%. The amendment, however, limits this increase to 5%. This cap would benefit property owners by providing greater predictability and restricting the rapid increase in assessments.

While Canadians constitute the largest single group of foreign buyers in Florida's real estate market, accounting for 37.8% of international demand in the first three months of 2026, there are signs that they are increasingly avoiding U.S. travel. According to the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada (THIA), many Canadians plan to skip U.S. trips in the winter, with only 26% planning to visit the U.S. in 2025, a significant decline from 2024.

The Sunshine State has also seen a 13.1% drop in Canadian visits compared to the same period in 2024, according to Visit Florida data.