Sarasota County homeowners who are 65 or older and have household income up to $38,686 can exempt up to $50,000 of their home’s value from city taxes in Sarasota, Venice and Longboat Key by returning Form DR-501SC to the county property appraiser by March 1. The $38,686 limit is the figure the property appraiser lists for 2026. North Port and Sarasota County have smaller versions of the same exemption.
The exemption lowers the taxable value on which a city figures its tax, so the savings depend on the city’s tax rate. The property appraiser’s page does not list a dollar savings. It lists the exempt amounts and the rules for getting them.
What the exemption covers in each jurisdiction
The Sarasota County Property Appraiser’s Senior Exemption with Limited Income page lists five amounts, each applied to that government’s ad valorem taxes, meaning taxes based on property value.
- City of Sarasota: $50,000
- Town of Longboat Key: $50,000
- City of Venice: $50,000
- City of North Port: $25,000
- Sarasota County: $5,000
School, hospital, WCIND and Southwest Florida Water Management District taxes are not eligible. The page does not list any other cities. Homeowners in an unlisted city should ask the appraiser’s office whether that city has adopted the exemption.
North Port’s $25,000 is half the amount of the other three cities, and the county’s $5,000 applies only to county taxes. Each amount applies to a different government’s tax bill, so a homeowner in Venice, for example, is looking at the $50,000 city amount and should ask the appraiser how the county amount fits in. Homeowners 65 and older in any of these places should check household income first, then return Form DR-501SC to the property appraiser by March 1.
Retirement deadlines, in your inbox: Miss an enrollment or claim deadline and the money can be gone. Join the Retirement Money Brief and we’ll send you our Property Tax & Utility Relief Finder as a welcome gift.
Get the Brief + the relief finder →
We may earn a commission from links on this page.
Who qualifies at 65 and at $38,686
The exemption is an add-on, not a replacement. A homeowner must be a permanent resident who already claims the homestead exemption, and at least one owner must be 65 or older as of Jan. 1 of the filing year. A homeowner who turns 65 later in the year is not covered until the following January.
Household income counts everyone living in the home, including spouses, partners and other relatives, not only the owner who is 65. The limit applies to adjusted gross income, which is taken from Line 11 of Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR. The Florida Department of Revenue’s Form DR-501SC defines household income as the combined adjusted gross income of all household members and leaves out boarders and renters.
For a household deciding whether to file, the first check is the income line. A retired owner living with an adult relative who works counts both incomes toward the $38,686 limit, and a married couple counts both spouses. The second check is the birthday: the age test is set on Jan. 1, not on the day the form is filed.
What to file by March 1
Form DR-501SC is the Adjusted Gross Household Income Sworn Statement and Return for the senior exemption under Section 196.075 of the Florida Statutes. The property appraiser says it is due by March 1 of the current tax year. The appraiser’s phone number is (941) 861-8200.
The page lists the proof of age accepted: a Florida driver’s license, a Florida identification card for people who do not drive, or a birth certificate or other official record showing age. If anyone in the household files a federal return for the prior year, a copy is due by June 1.
The state form spells out what goes with it. Income filers include a 1040-series return, or Form 4868 if they requested an extension, and W-2 forms. People who do not file include the prior-year SSA-1099 if they received one, Form 4506-T and a statement of income. The form says documents sent by May 1 get prompt consideration and that none are accepted after June 1.
Anyone who needs help filling out the form can call the appraiser’s office before the deadline instead of guessing at a line. The form asks for sworn figures, and an income statement that leaves out a household member is the likeliest error.
What happens after the first filing
A Florida Department of Revenue bulletin says the income statement for the senior exemption has been filed only once, when the exemption is first claimed, since July 1, 2021. The same bulletin says the property appraiser must tell each taxpayer claiming the exemption the adjusted income limit for the year, and that taxpayers must tell the appraiser by May 1 if household income goes above the most recent limit.
That matters because the limit changes. The page shows the 2026 figure of $38,686 and no 2027 figure. Anyone filing for the first time should ask the appraiser’s office which limit applies to the filing they are making.
The state form also carries a warning. Under Section 196.131 of the Florida Statutes, knowingly and willfully giving false information to claim the exemption is a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. The applicant signs the statement under penalty of perjury, which is why the household income must be counted from every member of the home.
Is a senior exemption filing on the calendar before March 1?
The exemption goes only to people who file, and the form is due March 1. A homeowner who turns 65 after Jan. 1, or who counts only the owner’s income instead of the whole household’s, can miss the exemption or file a statement that is wrong.
The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit is a 64-page guide that lays out the 5 kinds of property-tax relief for older homeowners and includes an application log and renewal calendar. Part 7, “The Yearly Routine,” is built around keeping each filing date in one place.
Get the property-tax relief kit with a March 1 filing log for Sarasota County seniors →
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
