She is seventy-eight. Her house has been paid off since 2009. She has never missed a bill in her life and she was sitting at her kitchen table apologising to me for a tax notice she could not cover.
There is a form for exactly her situation. Nobody had ever told her it existed.
Form DR-570 is the Application for Homestead Tax Deferral. It comes from the Florida Department of Revenue, it is one page, and it costs nothing to file.
What it does is simple. If you have a homestead exemption and you cannot pay your property taxes, this form lets you postpone part or all of the bill instead of falling into delinquency.
It does not erase what you owe. It moves the due date.
I'm Kady. I help Florida homeowners through foreclosure, hardship, inherited property, illness, divorce, and all the other things that show up uninvited. I am not an attorney and I do not work for the county. I am the person people call when they are not sure who to call.
This one earns me nothing at all. It is a free county program and I have no part in it. But I have sat across from too many people who lost a paid off house over a bill there was a form for, so here it is in plain English.
The short version
File Form DR-570 with your county tax collector, not the property appraiser, by March 31 of the year after the taxes were assessed. If you are 65 or older you can generally defer the portion of the bill above 3 percent of your household income. Under 65, the threshold is 5 percent. If you are 65 or older with income at or below $38,686 for 2026, you may be able to defer the whole bill. The deferred amount becomes a lien on your home with interest capped at 7 percent, and it comes due when you sell. You reapply every year.
Why This Form Exists
Property taxes in Florida are not optional, and the consequences of ignoring them are worse than most people realise.
The county sells a tax certificate to an investor. Interest accrues. After a holding period, that investor can apply for a tax deed sale, and the house can be sold out from under you. No mortgage lender is involved, so none of the protections that come with having one apply either.
That is how a fully paid off home gets lost over a few thousand dollars.
Deferral is the state's answer for people who genuinely cannot pay but should not lose their home over it. The unpaid amount sits quietly as a lien and comes due when the property is sold, when ownership changes, or when you no longer qualify for the homestead exemption.
For a homeowner in their seventies with a paid off house and a fixed income, that is a very different future than the one a tax deed sale offers.
What People Get Wrong About It
Three things come up almost every time I mention this form.
The myth
The property appraiser handles anything to do with property taxes, so that is who I call.
The truth
Two different offices. The property appraiser handles exemptions, due March 1. The tax collector handles deferral, due March 31. People call one and assume they have covered both.
The myth
This is a hardship program, so if I am not destitute I will not qualify for it.
The truth
It is based on a percentage of your income, not on being broke. Someone 65 or older earning $40,000 can still defer whatever part of the bill exceeds 3 percent of that.
The myth
If I get approved once, the deferral just carries on from year to year.
The truth
You reapply every single year, by March 31. Miss a year and that year's taxes are simply due like anybody else's.
How Much You Can Actually Defer
You need a homestead exemption on the property already. After that it comes down to your age and your household income from the prior year.
| Your situation | What you can defer |
|---|---|
| 65 or older, household income at or below $38,686 for 2026 | Potentially the entire tax bill |
| 65 or older, income above that limit | The portion above 3 percent of household income |
| Under 65, household income of $10,000 or more | The portion above 5 percent of household income |
Here is what that looks like with real numbers, because percentages are hard to picture.
You are 70. Your household income last year was $26,000. Your tax bill is $2,400.
Three percent of $26,000 is $780. So roughly $1,620 of that bill could be deferred, and you would pay the remaining $780.
Household income means everyone living in the home, not counting boarders or renters. You will be asked for last year's federal tax returns for each of them.
The Two Limits That Get People Denied
This is the part nobody writes about, and it is the reason most rejected applications get rejected.
There is an ongoing version of that rule too. If your deferred balance later grows past 85 percent of just value, the tax collector notifies you and the excess is due within 30 days. If it is not paid, the whole deferred amount becomes delinquent.
You will also be asked each year to report the outstanding liens on the property. That is normal, not a trap, but it is one more reason to keep the paperwork somewhere you can find it.
How to File It
Call your county tax collector
Ask for Form DR-570 and ask what their process looks like this year. Some counties take it in person, some by mail, some online. While you are at it, ask whether you owe anything from prior years.
Income and insurance documents
Last year's federal tax returns for every member of the household. Plus proof of fire and extended coverage insurance with a loss payable clause naming the tax collector, at least equal to your total liens, deferred taxes and interest.
File, then diary it for next year
Applications usually open around November 1 and close March 31. Put next year's deadline in a calendar or on the fridge the same day you file this one, because this is not a set and forget program.
Ask the property appraiser about exemptions
Separate office, separate deadline of March 1. Homeowners 65 and older with limited income may qualify for additional exemptions that reduce the bill outright, including a much larger one for people who have lived in the same home 25 years or more.
Do them in that order if you can. Exemptions lower the bill. Deferral postpones whatever is left of it.
Let me be honest about the trade off
This is borrowed time, not free money. Interest accrues, the deferred amount is a prior lien on your homestead, and it reduces what your family receives when the house eventually sells.
I would still take it over losing the house, every time. But tell your children you are doing it. Nobody should discover a lien after a funeral.
Two related forms, if somebody mentions them
There is a DR-570AH for affordable housing property and a DR-570WS for working waterfront property. Different programs, same basic idea.
If you are a regular homeowner living in your own house, DR-570 is the one you want.
"People deserve compassion, dignity, and a fresh start. Never judgment. Losing a paid off house over a tax bill is one of the saddest things I see, and so often there was a form sitting on a county website that nobody ever mentioned."
If you are not sure whether this fits your situation, send me what you have and I will tell you honestly. If the answer is call your tax collector on Monday morning, that is exactly what I will say. Call or text 904-400-2131 or email kady@helpinghandhomesfl.com. Costs nothing.
Not sure if this applies to you? Let's find out.
Tell me what is going on with the house and the bill, and I will help you work out whether deferral, an exemption, or something else entirely is the right move. No pressure, no obligation, no cost.
Just Talk to Kady Get My Cash OfferQuestions People Ask Me
What is Form DR-570 in Florida?
It is the Application for Homestead Tax Deferral from the Florida Department of Revenue. It lets a homeowner with a homestead exemption postpone paying part or all of their property tax bill. The deferred amount becomes a prior lien on the property with interest, and comes due when the home is sold or ownership changes.
Where do I file Form DR-570?
With your county tax collector, not the property appraiser. This trips people up constantly. The property appraiser handles exemptions with a March 1 deadline. The tax collector handles deferral with a March 31 deadline. If you want the bill lowered and the rest postponed, you need both offices.
What is the deadline for the Florida homestead tax deferral?
March 31 of the year following the year the taxes were assessed. Applications generally become available around November 1. You reapply every year, so it is not something you file once and forget about.
How much of my property tax can I defer?
If you are 65 or older with household income at or below the senior exemption limit, which is $38,686 for 2026, you may be able to defer the entire amount. If you are 65 or older with income above that, you can generally defer the portion above 3 percent of household income. Under 65 with household income of $10,000 or more, the threshold is 5 percent.
What is the interest rate on deferred Florida property taxes?
The rate follows a statutory formula tied to Florida Retirement System investment yields plus half a percent, compounded semiannually, and it cannot exceed 7 percent. The deferred taxes and interest become a prior lien on the homestead.
Can my application be denied?
Yes. The two most common reasons are that the deferred taxes, interest and all other unsatisfied liens together exceed 85 percent of the property's just value, or that the primary mortgage alone exceeds 70 percent of just value. That is why the program suits homeowners who own their home outright or carry very little mortgage.
Do I have to pay the deferred taxes back?
Yes. It is a delay rather than forgiveness. The balance plus interest comes due when the home is sold, when ownership changes, or when you no longer qualify for the homestead exemption. And if the deferred balance later passes 85 percent of just value, the excess is due within 30 days of notice.
What do I need besides the form?
Last year's federal income tax returns for each member of the household, and proof of fire and extended coverage insurance with a loss payable clause naming the tax collector, at least equal to your total outstanding liens, deferred taxes and interest. Each year you will also be asked to report the outstanding liens on the property.
Where to learn more
- Florida Department of Revenue, Form DR-570, Application for Homestead Tax Deferral
- Florida Statutes sections 197.242 through 197.2425, homestead tax deferral
- Florida Statutes section 196.075, additional homestead exemptions for homeowners 65 and older
- Your county tax collector, for the deferral and the March 31 deadline
- Your county property appraiser, for exemptions and the March 1 deadline
- Forms DR-570AH and DR-570WS, for affordable housing and working waterfront property
A gentle note: I am a Florida Realtor and home buyer, not an attorney, a CPA, or a tax adviser, and this is general information rather than advice for your situation. Income limits change every year, counties handle the paperwork slightly differently, and whether deferral is right for you depends on your equity and your family's plans. Figures reflect the 2026 tax year and Florida law as of September 2026. Please confirm the details with your county tax collector before you file.
Written by Kady Andreoli, founder of Helping Hand Home Solutions FL. Florida Realtor and investor helping homeowners find every available option. Guidance without judgment, and people before profit. 904-400-2131 · kady@helpinghandhomesfl.com
Not sure if this applies to you? Ask Kady.
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