Property tax Revolt Spreads as GOP Targets Homeowners

30 January 2026

A long-simmering grievance among homeowners is hardening into a national political push to eliminate property taxes on primary residences altogether.

Rising assessments have juiced tax payments across the country, and Republican lawmakers in several states are now floating plans that would upend one of local government’s core revenue streams — with sweeping implications for housing, schools and municipal finance, the Associated Press reported. The movement is gaining traction in oil-rich North Dakota and Sun Belt growth states alike.

North Dakota Republicans said they are already on a path to zeroing out homeowner property taxes by tapping the state’s $13.4 billion oil tax savings account. In Georgia, House Republicans this week rolled out a plan to phase out most homeowner property taxes by 2032. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis embraced a similar goal, while Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wants to eliminate property taxes that fund schools, the outlet reported.

Texas has been using its surplus funds to finance property tax reductions. In November, Texas voters increased the state’s homestead exemption — the portion of a home’s value shielded from school property taxes — from $100,000 to $140,000. That translates to roughly $490 in annual savings for the owner of a typical $302,000 Texas home, The Real Deal previously reported.

Following the vote, Abbott launched his reelection campaign in November by pitching a six-point plan that would slash appraisal growth, restrict local spending and give voters far greater control over tax increases.

According to Abbott, the Legislature’s record $51 billion allocation for tax relief in 2025 was blunted by local governments raising their own levies. Abbott now wants to tie local spending growth to 3.5 percent, or population growth plus inflation, whichever is lower, and by extending the state’s debt and deficit limits to counties, cities and school districts.

Property taxes generate billions — or tens of billions — annually in most states, underwriting K-12 schools, police and fire departments and basic municipal services. Replacing that revenue without gutting services would require higher sales taxes, new fees or deep spending cuts.

In Georgia, House Speaker Jon Burns wants to wipe out $5.2 billion in homeowner property taxes, more than a quarter of the state’s total property tax haul in 2024. Cities, counties and school districts would be pushed to lean on existing or newly approved sales taxes, capped at a combined local rate of 5 percent on top of the state’s 4 percent. The plan would also allow local governments to bill homeowners separately for services like garbage pickup and fire protection — fees lawmakers insist are not taxes.

“No one should ever face the loss of their home because they can’t pay rent to the government,” Burns said as he unveiled his plan.

The appeal is obvious for real estate, as property taxes are often baked into housing affordability calculations, and sharp increases have been especially painful for retirees and owners who have paid off their mortgages. In fast-growing metros, tax relief could buoy home values and reduce pressure to sell, according to the publication.

But policy analysts warn the cure could be worse than the disease, as past revolts, like California’s Proposition 13, reshaped development patterns and constrained local budgets for decades. Critics cited by the outlet said that eliminating homeowner taxes risks shifting the burden onto renters, commercial property owners or consumers through higher sales taxes.

North Dakota’s approach — using state oil revenues to subsidize local governments — is the cleanest case, but it’s also the hardest to replicate. The outlet reported that elsewhere, proposals face political hurdles, constitutional amendments and voter approval.

The property tax revolt is back, but whether it becomes law — or just another campaign-season promise — will determine who really pays for the American home.

— Eric Weilbacher