Exemption for totally and permanently disabled persons.

(1) Any real estate used and owned as a homestead by any quadriplegic is exempt from taxation.

(2) Any real estate used and owned as a homestead by a paraplegic, hemiplegic, or other totally and permanently disabled person, as defined in s. 196.012(11), who must use a wheelchair for mobility or who is legally blind, is exempt from taxation.

(3) The production by any totally and permanently disabled person entitled to the exemption in subsection (1) or subsection (2) of a certificate of such disability from two licensed doctors of this state or from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or its predecessor to the property appraiser of the county wherein the property lies, is prima facie evidence of the fact that he or she is entitled to such exemption.

(4)(a) A person entitled to the exemption in subsection (2) must be a permanent resident of this state. Submission of an affidavit that the applicant claiming the exemption under subsection (2) is a permanent resident of this state is prima facie proof of such residence. However, the gross income of all persons residing in or upon the homestead for the prior year shall not exceed $14,500. For the purposes of this section, the term “gross income” includes United States Department of Veterans Affairs benefits and any social security benefits paid to the persons.

(b) The maximum income limitations permitted in this subsection shall be adjusted annually on January 1, beginning January 1, 1990, by the percentage change in the average cost-of-living index in the period January 1 through December 31 of the immediate prior year compared with the same period for the year prior to that. The index is the average of the monthly consumer price index figures for the stated 12-month period, relative to the United States as a whole, issued by the United States Department of Labor.

(c) The department shall require by rule that the taxpayer annually submit a sworn statement of gross income, pursuant to paragraph (a). The department shall require that the filing of such statement be accompanied by copies of federal income tax returns for the prior year, wage and earnings statements (W-2 forms), and other documents it deems necessary, for each member of the household. The taxpayer’s statement shall attest to the accuracy of such copies. The department shall prescribe and furnish a form to be used for this purpose which form shall include spaces for a separate listing of United States Department of Veterans Affairs benefits and social security benefits. All records produced by the taxpayer under this paragraph are confidential in the hands of the property appraiser, the department, the tax collector, the Auditor General, and the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability and shall not be divulged to any person, firm, or corporation except upon court order or order of an administrative body having quasi-judicial powers in ad valorem tax matters, and such records are exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1).

(5) The physician’s certification shall read as follows:

PHYSICIAN’S CERTIFICATION OF

TOTAL AND PERMANENT DISABILITY

I, (name of physician) , a physician licensed pursuant to chapter 458 or chapter 459, Florida Statutes, hereby certify Mr. ________ Mrs. ________ Miss ________ Ms. ________ (name of totally and permanently disabled person) , social security number ________ , is totally and permanently disabled as of January 1, (year) , due to the following mental or physical condition(s):

________ Quadriplegia

________ Paraplegia

________ Hemiplegia

________ Other total and permanent disability requiring use of a wheelchair for mobility

________ Legal Blindness

It is my professional belief that the above-named condition(s) render Mr. ________ Mrs. ________ Miss ________ Ms. ________ (name of totally and permanently disabled person) totally and permanently disabled, and that the foregoing statements are true, correct, and complete to the best of my knowledge and professional belief.

Signature ________

Address (print) ________

Date ________

Florida Board of Medicine or Osteopathic Medicine license number ________

Issued on ________

NOTICE TO TAXPAYER: Each Florida resident applying for a total and permanent disability exemption must present to the county property appraiser, on or before March 1 of each year, a copy of this form or a letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or its predecessor. Each form is to be completed by a licensed Florida physician.

NOTICE TO TAXPAYER AND PHYSICIAN: Section 196.131(2), Florida Statutes, provides that any person who shall knowingly and willfully give false information for the purpose of claiming homestead exemption shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable by a term of imprisonment not exceeding 1 year or a fine not exceeding $5,000, or both.

(6) An optometrist licensed under chapter 463 may certify a person to be totally and permanently disabled as a result of legal blindness alone by issuing a certification in accordance with subsection (7). Certification of total and permanent disability due to legal blindness by a physician and an optometrist licensed in this state may be deemed to meet the requirements of subsection (3).

(7) The optometrist’s certification shall read as follows:

OPTOMETRIST’S CERTIFICATION OF

TOTAL AND PERMANENT DISABILITY

I, (name of optometrist) , an optometrist licensed pursuant to chapter 463, Florida Statutes, hereby certify that Mr. ________ Mrs. ________ Miss ________ Ms. ________ (name of totally and permanently disabled person) , social security number ________ , is totally and permanently disabled as of January 1, (year) , due to legal blindness.

It is my professional belief that the above-named condition renders Mr. ________ Mrs. ________ Miss ________ Ms. ________ (name of totally and permanently disabled person) totally and permanently disabled and that the foregoing statements are true, correct, and complete to the best of my knowledge and professional belief.

Signature ________

Address (print) ________

Date ________

Florida Board of Optometry license number ________

Issued on ________

NOTICE TO TAXPAYER: Each Florida resident applying for a total and permanent disability exemption must present to the county property appraiser, on or before March 1 of each year, a copy of this form or a letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or its predecessor. Each form is to be completed by a licensed Florida optometrist.

NOTICE TO TAXPAYER AND OPTOMETRIST: Section 196.131(2), Florida Statutes, provides that any person who knowingly and willfully gives false information for the purpose of claiming homestead exemption commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable by a term of imprisonment not exceeding 1 year or a fine not exceeding $5,000, or both.

(8) An applicant for the exemption under this section may apply for the exemption before receiving the necessary documentation from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or its predecessor. Upon receipt of the documentation, the exemption shall be granted as of the date of the original application, and the excess taxes paid shall be refunded. Any refund of excess taxes paid shall be limited to those paid during the 4-year period of limitation set forth in s. 197.182(1)(e).