Free Tool · 2026 Florida Relocation · By Beth

Florida Tax Savings Calculator: What You Really Save Moving from a High-Tax State in 2026

Most relocation content gives you a round number — “Florida has no state income tax!” — and stops there. This calculator runs the actual math: your origin state's real 2026 brackets, your destination Florida county's effective millage rate, the $50,000 Homestead Exemption applied to assessed value, and the Save Our Homes 3% cap compounded over five and ten years.

Built by Beth McKeone·Reviewed by James “Griff” Griffis·Last verified May 2026

Florida Tax Savings Calculator · 2026

What would you actually save moving to Florida?

Real bracket math against your origin state plus Florida county property tax with Homestead Exemption and the Save Our Homes 3% cap applied. Adjust the inputs to see your year-one, five-year, and ten-year delta.

Parkland, Coral Springs, Weston, Davie, and Fort Lauderdale all in Broward

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$50,000 Homestead Exemption applied to assessed value before millage.

Estimated annual savings

$21,635

Year one, post-homestead. Refreshes live as you change inputs.

New York (current)

  • State income tax: $13,860
  • Property tax (1.73%): $12,975
  • Total annual: $26,835

Florida (Broward County)

  • State income tax: $0 (no state income tax)
  • Property tax (1.04%): $5,200
  • Total annual: $5,200

5-year savings

$107K

10-year savings

$209K

Projections apply Florida's Save Our Homes 3% cap to FL property tax growth. Current-state taxes held flat for comparison — most high-tax states have been raising rates, so the real delta runs higher.

What else changes with this move from New York?+
  • ✦NYC residents pay an additional city personal income tax on top of state
  • ✦NY State aggressively audits residency changes — paperwork trail matters
  • ✦NY estate tax has a "cliff" at the threshold rather than a true exclusion

Want this personalized?

Drop your email and Beth or Griff will follow up within 24 hours with an origin-specific breakdown — your real bracket, closing-cost estimate, and homestead filing timing.

Estimate only. Final tax depends on filing status, deductions, residency timing, and which counties you actually buy in. Always confirm with a CPA licensed in both states.

How to read the result

The headline number is your year-one annual savings — state income tax plus property tax delta, with the Florida Homestead Exemption applied. The five-year and ten-year projections compound Florida property tax growth under the Save Our Homes 3% cap. We hold your current-state tax flat for comparison even though most high-tax states have been raising rates, which means the real long-run delta usually runs higher than the calculator shows.

  • ✦Year-one savings is the most reliable number — it's pure bracket math with no compounding assumptions.
  • ✦5-year savings shows the compounding effect of Florida's 3% assessment cap vs. uncapped growth in your origin state.
  • ✦10-year savings is where the structural Florida advantage becomes obvious — often two to three times the year-one number.

What the calculator doesn't include (and why it still matters)

We intentionally kept the inputs short so the result is decision-grade without becoming a tax-prep exercise. Three real items live outside the calculator:

Estate tax savings

New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Illinois all have state estate taxes with thresholds ranging from $2M (MA) to $13.6M (CT). Florida has none. For high-net-worth households this can dwarf the recurring annual savings — but the math is highly situation-dependent and belongs with an estate attorney.

Florida insurance cost

Florida homeowners and flood insurance has climbed materially in coastal counties — budget $4,000 to $8,000 a year on most single-family homes in Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade; noticeably less inland and in newer construction with hurricane-rated roofs and impact windows. We always pull a real quote during due diligence rather than guess at the listing agent's estimate.

Capital gains on home sale

If you're selling a long-held primary residence in a high-tax state, the state-level capital gains hit is real and separate from this calculator. Coordinate with a CPA before closing — sometimes the residency change timing matters.

Want the real number for your situation?

Tell us your state, income range, and target Florida region.

Beth or Griff will come back within 24 hours with origin-specific math (your real bracket, real city surtax if applicable), a Florida insurance estimate, and the closing-cost outline for the county you're targeting.

Read next

State-origin relocation guides

Tax, homestead, and closing

Sources & methodology

  • State income tax brackets: New York Department of Taxation, New Jersey Division of Taxation, Connecticut Department of Revenue Services, Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Illinois Department of Revenue — 2026 schedules for Married Filing Jointly.
  • Property tax effective rates: Tax Foundation 2025 state averages, Florida county property appraiser millage data for 2026.
  • Florida Homestead Exemption and Save Our Homes mechanics: Florida Department of Revenue, Section 196.031 Florida Statutes.
  • Estate tax thresholds: state department of revenue summaries plus AICPA 2026 estate planning guides.

Tax savings calculator — frequently asked questions

How accurate is this Florida tax savings calculator?+
The calculator applies real 2026 state income tax brackets (MFJ schedule), the statewide effective property tax rate for your origin state, the actual county millage rate for your Florida destination county, the $50,000 Florida Homestead Exemption, and the Save Our Homes 3% annual cap on assessed-value growth. Output is an estimate suitable for go/no-go decisions, not tax preparation. Final tax depends on filing status, deductions, residency timing, and the specific city or municipality you land in. Always confirm with a CPA licensed in both your origin state and Florida before making decisions.
Why does Florida have such a property tax advantage over the Northeast and Illinois?+
Three reasons. First, Florida has zero state income tax — that alone wipes out 4.95% to 10.9%+ of state-level income tax that residents of Illinois, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York pay. Second, Florida effective property tax rates run 0.78% to 1.18% across the destination counties we cover, versus 1.14% to 2.49% in the high-tax origin states. Third, Florida's Homestead Exemption removes the first $50,000 of assessed value from the property tax base, and the Save Our Homes amendment caps future assessed-value growth at 3% per year (or CPI, whichever is lower). Compounded over 5 to 10 years, the property tax delta becomes structural.
Does the calculator include the New Jersey "exit tax"?+
No. The "exit tax" you hear about is not an additional tax — it's a New Jersey estimated tax withholding at the home sale (typically 2% of sale price or 8.97% of net gain, whichever is greater) that you reconcile when you file your final NJ return. If you actually owe less, you get a refund. The calculator focuses on the recurring annual savings, which are the real long-term driver. Your tax attorney or CPA will handle the exit-tax mechanics at closing.
What is the Massachusetts Millionaire's Tax and does the calculator include it?+
Yes. Effective January 2023, Massachusetts added a 4% surtax on taxable income above $1 million per year (threshold rises with inflation; about $1.083M for tax year 2025). The calculator automatically applies the surtax when household income exceeds $1M — choose Massachusetts in the origin state dropdown and watch the income tax line scale at the top.
How does the Florida Homestead Exemption work for new residents?+
If your Florida home is your primary residence as of January 1, you file a Homestead Exemption application with your county property appraiser by March 1 of that year. The exemption removes the first $25,000 of assessed value from all property taxes, plus another $25,000 from non-school taxes — a $50,000 total reduction. Once homesteaded, the Save Our Homes amendment caps your assessed-value growth at 3% per year. Missing the March 1 filing deadline forfeits the exemption for that tax year — typically $750 to $1,500 in lost savings. The calculator assumes you will homestead within the first filing window.
What about portability — moving the Save Our Homes savings from one Florida home to another?+
Florida allows homestead "portability": you can transfer up to $500,000 of accumulated Save Our Homes savings from your prior Florida homestead to a new one within three tax years. This calculator focuses on moves from out-of-state, so portability does not apply on your first Florida home — but it becomes important if you move within Florida later. See the dedicated portability guide at /guides/homestead-exemption-portability.
Does Florida have estate or inheritance tax?+
No. Florida has no estate tax, no inheritance tax, and no gift tax. New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Illinois all have state-level estate taxes with varying thresholds — Massachusetts is one of the most aggressive in the country at a $2 million threshold. The calculator does not project estate-tax savings (highly situation-dependent), but for high-net-worth households, it is often the single largest financial reason to establish Florida domicile. Talk to an estate attorney before relying on this for tax planning.
Why is Florida property tax higher in some counties than others?+
County and municipal governments set their own millage rates each year based on budget needs. Coastal counties with newer infrastructure and stronger flood-mitigation spending often run higher (St. Lucie at ~1.18%); inland counties with broader tax bases run lower (Sumter at ~0.94%). The Florida Homestead Exemption and Save Our Homes cap apply equally across all counties. The calculator uses the all-in effective rate (county + city + school + special districts) — adjust the destination county to see how the math shifts.
How do I actually become a Florida resident for tax purposes?+
You establish Florida domicile through a paper trail: Florida driver license (within 30 days of move), Florida vehicle registration (within 10 days), Florida voter registration, federal tax address change, Declaration of Domicile filed with your Florida county clerk, Florida bank account, and meaningful physical presence (more than half the year). High-tax states audit aggressively — New York is the most aggressive in the country — so the documentation matters. See /guides/buying-from-out-of-state-broward for the full residency-change checklist.
Can the calculator handle moves from states other than NY, NJ, CT, MA, and IL?+
Not yet — these are the five highest-volume origin states for the Buy Sell Diva client base, so we built the calculator around their real tax data. Adding Pennsylvania, California, Ohio, and Michigan is on the roadmap. If you are moving from another state and want a real number, fill in the email box at the bottom of the calculator and Beth or Griff will run the math by hand and follow up.