The Exemptions Guide is a reference table from the Alachua County Property Appraiser that sets out added benefits for qualified homestead properties and exemptions and discounts for veterans and first responders. It is one of the resources on Alachua County property tax exemptions, and for each benefit it lists who qualifies, which forms (such as DR-501SC, DR-501A and DR-501DV) and documents apply, and the Florida statute behind it. On this page you can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it; the original guide is published by the Alachua County Property Appraiser at the official link.
Last updated
What is Exemptions Guide – Alachua County, FL?
The Exemptions Guide is a reference table published by the Alachua County Property Appraiser that lists added exemption benefits for qualified homestead properties, plus exemptions and a discount for veterans and first responders, with the qualifications, forms, proof and statute for each.
The guide has two sections:
- Added Benefits Available for Qualified Homestead Properties. It covers a local option for owners age 65 and older, the widowed exemption, the blind exemption, the exemption for the totally and permanently disabled, and the all-taxes exemptions for quadriplegic owners and for hemiplegic, paraplegic, wheelchair-dependent or legally blind owners with limited income.
- Veterans and First Responders Exemptions and Discount. It covers the disabled veteran discount for age 65 and older, the exemption for veterans disabled 10% or more by misfortune or during wartime service, the all-taxes exemptions for service-connected disabled veterans and their surviving spouses, and the exemptions for first responders who are totally and permanently disabled in the line of duty and for surviving spouses of veterans and first responders who died on duty.
Each row shows the amount or extent of the benefit, the qualifications, the form and documents to expect, and the statute number (for example 196.075, 196.202, 196.101, 196.082, 196.24, 196.091, 196.081 or 196.102). The guide defines DVA as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or its predecessor and SSA as the Social Security Administration. It prints no form number, deadline or filing address of its own.
Who needs to file Exemptions Guide – Alachua County, FL?
Property owners who already hold a homestead and want to know which added benefits they may qualify for use this guide, as do veterans, first responders and their surviving spouses. It places each benefit with a specific group:
- Owners age 65 and older: a local option set by local ordinance, with a household income limit; a second local-ordinance row adds a just value limit and permanent residency of 25 years or more.
- Widowed owners: the widowed exemption, supported by the spouse's death certificate.
- Blind owners and totally and permanently disabled owners: certification from a Florida physician, the DVA or the SSA.
- Quadriplegic owners: all taxes, with certification from 2 Florida physicians or the DVA.
- Hemiplegic, paraplegic, wheelchair-dependent or legally blind owners: all taxes, for owners with limited income.
- Disabled veterans age 65 and older: a discount equal to the percentage of combat-related disability, which carries over to the surviving spouse.
- Veterans disabled 10% or more by misfortune or during wartime service, and veterans or surviving spouses covered by the wheelchair-confined or service-connected total and permanent disability rows.
- Surviving spouses of veterans who died on active duty and of first responders who died in the line of duty.
- First responders totally and permanently disabled in the line of duty, and their surviving spouses.
The guide is a summary table; it does not say who may sign or file for another person.
Documents you need
- Proof of age, for the local option for owners age 65 and older; the guide pairs it with Form DR-501SC and household income documentation.
- Form DR-501SC and household income information, for the age 65 local option (including the row with a just value limit and 25 years of permanent residency).
- Death certificate of the spouse, for the widowed exemption.
- Certification from a Florida physician, the DVA or the SSA, for the blind exemption and for the totally and permanently disabled exemption.
- Certification from 2 Florida physicians or the DVA, for the quadriplegic exemption.
- Form DR-416, DR-416B, or letters from 2 Florida physicians (one may be an optometrist for the legally blind), plus a DVA letter, Form DR-501A and household income, for the limited-income hemiplegic, paraplegic, wheelchair or legally blind row.
- Proof of age, proof of disability from the DVA or U.S. government, and Form DR-501DV, for the disabled veteran discount for age 65 and older.
- Proof of disability from the DVA or U.S. government, for the veteran exemptions in the 10%-or-more, wheelchair-confined and service-connected total and permanent rows.
- Letter attesting to the veteran's death while on active duty, for the surviving spouse of a veteran who died on active duty.
- Proof of disability, employer certificate, physician's certificate and SSA documentation (or an additional physician certificate), for a first responder totally and permanently disabled in the line of duty.
- Letter attesting to the first responder's death in the line of duty, for the surviving spouse of a first responder who died in the line of duty.
How to fill out Exemptions Guide – Alachua County, FL
Find your benefit category
Start with the section that fits you: Added Benefits Available for Qualified Homestead Properties or Veterans and First Responders Exemptions and Discount.
Read the Amount column
Check whether the benefit is a local option, an all-taxes exemption, a percentage discount or another amount for your row.
Compare the Qualifications column
Confirm that your situation matches the row, for example age 65 and older, limited income, wheelchair required for mobility, or veteran or surviving spouse.
Note the form and documents
Write down the forms named in the Form and Documents column, such as DR-501SC, DR-501A, DR-416, DR-416B or DR-501DV, and the proof listed with them.
Check the statute number
Use the statute column (196.075, 196.202, 196.101, 196.082, 196.24, 196.091, 196.081 or 196.102) to identify the Florida law behind your benefit.
Decode DVA and SSA
The guide defines DVA as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or its predecessor and SSA as the Social Security Administration; use these when a row asks for proof from either.
Gather the listed proof
Collect the certificates, letters, death certificate, proof of age or household income that your row lists.
Review and download the PDF
Check the entries you made, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and keep it with your documents.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Applying for the age 65 local option without Form DR-501SC and household income information, which the guide lists with proof of age.
- Assuming one exemption row covers another group: the quadriplegic row, the limited-income wheelchair row and the totally and permanently disabled row each list different certifications.
- Offering a single physician's statement where the guide calls for 2 Florida physicians or the DVA, as for quadriplegic owners.
- Skipping Form DR-501DV and proof of disability when seeking the disabled veteran discount for age 65 and older.
- Overlooking the income condition on the hemiplegic, paraplegic, wheelchair or legally blind row, which lists Form DR-501A and household income.
- Expecting a surviving spouse to qualify without the required letter attesting to the veteran's death on active duty or the first responder's death in the line of duty.
- Sending a first responder disability claim without the employer certificate and physician's certificate that the guide lists alongside proof of disability.
- Reading the table as an application: it names forms and documents but prints no deadline or filing address.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Alachua County Exemptions Guide?
It is a table from the Alachua County Property Appraiser listing added benefits for qualified homestead properties and exemptions and a discount for veterans and first responders. For each row it shows the amount, qualifications, forms and documents, and the Florida statute.
What form do I need for the age 65 local option exemption?
The guide lists Form DR-501SC and household income documentation, plus proof of age. The benefit is determined by local ordinance and is limited by income; a second local-ordinance row also requires permanent residency for 25 years or more.
What proof is needed for the widowed exemption?
The guide lists the death certificate of the spouse for the widowed exemption, under statute 196.202. The same statute covers the blind and the totally and permanently disabled exemptions, which need other certifications.
What documents does the disabled veteran discount for age 65 and older require?
The guide lists proof of age, Form DR-501DV, and proof of disability from the DVA or the U.S. government. The discount is a percentage of the disability, it applies to combat-related disability, and it carries over to the surviving spouse.
Do surviving spouses of veterans or first responders get an exemption?
The guide lists all-taxes exemptions under statute 196.081 for a surviving spouse of a veteran who died on active duty and of a first responder who died in the line of duty. Each requires a letter attesting to the death.
What do DVA and SSA mean in the Exemptions Guide?
The guide defines DVA as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or its predecessor and SSA as the Social Security Administration. Several rows accept certification from a Florida physician, the DVA or the SSA as proof of disability or blindness.
Can I fill out the Exemptions Guide online on FillingPDF?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service, not connected to the Alachua County Property Appraiser, and it does not file anything with the agency.
Ready to fill out Exemptions Guide – Alachua County, FL?
Fill out Exemptions Guide – Alachua County, FL now