Taxes in Bonita Springs
Florida's lack of a state income tax is the headline tax fact for anyone moving to Bonita Springs, but property taxes -- and the exemptions that reduce them -- are where the local detail actually matters for a homeowner's annual bill.
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Learn moreNo state income tax
Florida has no state personal income tax, a fact that applies uniformly across the state and is a major driver of the inbound migration discussed on the Moving page -- for a filer coming from a state like New York (top marginal rate around 10.9%) or California, the savings can be substantial depending on income level.
Property tax millage
Lee County's total millage for 2025 ran about 15.97 mills combined across county, school, city, and special-district levies, with roughly 5.32 mills of that funding schools, per HonestCasa's Lee County property tax guide. The City of Bonita Springs' own municipal millage is a smaller piece of that total, cited at 0.8470 mills. Because millage stacks differently by specific tax district and school levy, effective property tax rates across Lee County generally run in a 0.65%-1.2% range of assessed value depending on location, per Momentum's Lee County property tax calculator page -- confirm the exact combined rate for a specific parcel with the Lee County Property Appraiser rather than assuming the county average.
Homestead exemption and the Save Our Homes cap
A primary Florida residence qualifies for a homestead exemption that fully exempts the first $25,000 of assessed value, plus an additional exemption of up to roughly $25,000-$26,000 on the portion of assessed value between $50,000 and $75,000 (that second tier applies to non-school taxes only), per the Lee County Property Appraiser (leepa.org). Once homesteaded, the property's assessed value is also protected by the Save Our Homes cap, which limits annual assessment increases to 3% or the change in CPI, whichever is lower -- a real benefit in a market where market values have risen faster than 3% in many recent years.
Portability and the senior exemption
A homeowner moving from one Florida homestead to another can port up to $500,000 of their accumulated Save Our Homes assessment-value savings to the new home via Form DR-501T, provided they held a homestead exemption in at least one of the prior three years, per leepa.org. Separately, Lee County offers an additional homestead exemption for qualifying seniors 65 and older with limited household income -- potentially worth up to $25,000 in additional exemption -- with a further, larger exemption available to long-term (25+ year) resident seniors meeting a lower home-value threshold; income limits are indexed to CPI annually, so check the current-year figure directly with the Property Appraiser's office.
Key takeaways
- Florida has no state income tax -- a significant factor for movers from high-income-tax states.
- Lee County's total 2025 millage ran about 15.97 mills, with effective property tax rates across the county generally in a 0.65%-1.2% range of assessed value, per HonestCasa and Momentum's tax guides -- confirm the exact rate for a specific parcel.
- Homestead exemption fully exempts the first $25,000 of assessed value plus an additional tier up to ~$25,000-$26,000 (non-school taxes only), and caps annual assessment growth at 3%/CPI via Save Our Homes.
- Up to $500,000 of accumulated Save Our Homes savings can be ported to a new Florida homestead (Form DR-501T); qualifying low-income seniors 65+ can access an additional exemption on top of the standard homestead benefit.
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