Widow/Widower Exemption
The Widow/Widower’s Exemption provides a $5,000 reduction in property assessment to every unmarried widow or widower who is a bona fide resident of this state as of January 1.
A property owner can qualify for the Widow/Widower Exemption without a homestead exemption. Applicants must have a legal/equitable title to the property as of January 1.
- Search Florida Statutes, Section 196.202
Requirements
- Must be an unmarried widow or widower who is a bona fide resident of this state as of January 1
- Copy of the death certificate or proof of surviving spouse.
- Spouses who re-marry
- Spouses who divorce before death
- Multiple properties
Submit Your Application
Complete the Property Tax Exemption Form – select $5,000 widowed – and submit it by March 1.
You may submit your application using the following methods:
- By email - Submit the completed form using our Contact Form
- Schedule an Appointment – Use our Appointment Application to book a visit at either SPCC or South Dade.
Walk-In
- Stephen P. Clark Center
111 NW 1 Street
Suite 710
Miami, FL 33128 - South Dade Government Center
10710 SW 211 Street
2nd Floor
Cutler Bay, FL 33189
To confirm your application has been received and to track its status, visit the Track Your Application Status webpage. For more information, call 305-375-4712.
You can file a late property tax exemption application starting March 2 until the expiration on your August Notice of Proposed Property Taxes (TRIM Notice), which is on or before September 20. You may have to file a petition with the Value Adjustment Board; a $15 fee may be applicable.
You can file a late application online, by mail, email or in person. For more information on how to file a late application, call 305-375-4712.
Related Services
The Widow/Widower Exemption is automatically renewed each year. If you are still eligible for these exemption(s), you do not need to take any further action. Keep the automatic renewal receipt our office mails every year with the updated adjusted household for your records.
Florida Law prescribes that it is the duty of the owner of any property to notify the Property Appraiser promptly whenever the use of the property or the status or condition of the owner changes, so as to change the exempt status of the property.
If any owner fails to notify the Property Appraiser, and the Property Appraiser determines that for any year within the prior 10 years the owner was not entitled to receive such exemption, the property shall be subject to the taxes exempted as a result of such failure, plus 15 percent interest per year, and a penalty of 50 percent of the taxes exempted.