Veterans Day falls on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, and across South Florida it’s a good moment to highlight a set of benefits that don’t get enough attention: the financing and tax advantages available to veterans and active-duty service members buying a home in Florida. Between VA loans and Florida’s veteran-specific property tax exemptions, eligible buyers can meaningfully lower both their upfront costs and their ongoing tax bill.
How a VA Loan Works
A VA loan lets eligible veterans, active-duty service members, and some surviving spouses buy a primary residence with no down payment and no private mortgage insurance, typically at competitive interest rates. For purchases in 2026, the VA funding fee for a first-time use with no down payment is 2.15%, dropping to lower tiers with a 5% or 10% down payment, while subsequent use is higher at 3.30%. An Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (IRRRL) carries a much smaller 0.50% fee. Veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 10% or higher, Purple Heart recipients on active duty, and surviving spouses receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation are exempt from the funding fee entirely. For most borrowers with full entitlement, there’s no VA-imposed cap on the loan amount, though your lender will still qualify you based on income, credit, and the appraised value of the home.
Florida Property Tax Breaks for Veterans
Florida layers several property tax exemptions on top of the standard homestead exemption for qualifying veterans who own and occupy their home as a primary residence:
- $5,000 disability exemption: Available to Florida resident veterans with a VA service-connected disability rating of 10% or higher. The disability does not need to be combat-related.
- Total and permanent disability exemption: Veterans with a 100% permanent and total VA disability rating (or who are legally blind, paraplegic, or wheelchair-bound due to service-connected injury) can eliminate ad valorem property taxes on their homestead entirely. Non-ad valorem charges, like fire or garbage fees, still apply.
- Combat-related disability discount: Veterans age 65 or older with a VA disability rating designated as combat-related receive a discount equal to their disability percentage. An 80% rating, for example, yields an 80% discount on the tax bill.
- Surviving spouse benefits: A surviving spouse who keeps the homestead, remains unmarried, and applies within one year of the veteran’s death can generally continue these exemptions, including the 100% exemption in some cases where the veteran died from a service-connected cause.
Florida’s homestead exemption application deadline for the 2026 tax year is March 1, so veterans buying or refinancing a home should plan to file with their county property appraiser’s office well ahead of that date. Requirements and documentation (typically a DD-214 and a current VA disability letter) vary slightly by county.
This is general information, not tax or legal advice. VA funding fee tiers, exemption amounts, and eligibility rules can change, and county property appraisers administer these exemptions individually, so confirm current figures with your lender, the VA, and your local property appraiser’s office before making decisions.
If you’re a veteran or active-duty buyer weighing a move in Broward, Miami-Dade, or Palm Beach County, our team at Ne Plus Ultra Real Estate can walk you through how VA financing and these exemptions apply to a specific property, and connect you with lenders experienced in VA loans.