Florida Property Taxes

Florida Relocation Information:

PROPERTY TAXES

The information below is courtesy of the Florida Department of Revenue and can be found in it’s entirety at: http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/property/taxpayers.html. Millage rates by county for comparison purposes are listed in the fifth section: Local Entities with Tax Assessing Authority.

Please note that there is more to take into consideration than the county millage rate when comparing one area to another. County, municipal (city), and school district governments may levy taxes up to 10 mills each. A county that provides municipal services may levy an additional tax as set forth in statute. Special districts 1 (e.g., water management) may be authorized by the constitution or by statute to operate with a variety of millage caps, usually under two mills.

It is best to check with the county tax assessor about a specific property that you are interested in purchasing.

What You Should Know About Florida’s Property Tax System…

The Florida Constitution reserves all revenue from “ad valorem taxes” (taxes based on property value) for local governments, which is their largest source of funding. State government derives no revenue from property taxes. Property tax is levied as of January 1 annually based on the market value of real and tangible personal property. Property owners receive their tax bills in November and payment is due by March 31 of the following year.

Local property appraisers annually assess each privately owned property in Florida based on market value. Property appraisers also administer exemptions. Local governments (taxing authorities) set the “millage rate,” which is the rate at which properties are taxed. After accounting for certain exemptions, differentials, and limitations, the “taxable value” is multiplied by the millage rate to determine the dollar amount of the tax.

The Department's role in setting property tax millages is limited to determining compliance with the maximum millage rate requirements and ensuring that governments do not exceed constitutional millage caps. The Department provides training, assistance, instruction, and forms, to local governments throughout the year to improve compliance.
See The Local Government Property Tax Process to see how your government works for you.

The Formula for Determining Your Florida Property Taxes…

Just Value (market value) – Assessment Limitations (e.g. Save Our Homes) = “Assessed Value”
Assessed Value – Applicable Exemptions (e.g. Homestead) = “Taxable Value”
Taxable Value X Millage Rate = Total Tax Liability

Example: Assume Homestead A has a market value of $400,000, an accumulated $100,000 in Save Our Homes protections, a Homestead Exemption of $50,000, and the millage is 5 mills:

$400,000 – $100,000 = $300,000
$300,000 – $50,000 = $250,000
$250,000 X .005 = $1,250 (Total Property Taxes)

See a list of property tax exemptions.

Florida Homestead Exemption

Every person who owns and resides on real property in Florida on January 1 and makes the property their permanent residence is eligible to receive a homestead exemption up to $50,000. The first $25,000 applies to all property taxes, including school district taxes. The additional exemption up to $25,000, applies to properties with an assessed value over $50,000 and only to nonschool taxes.

See a list of property tax forms that are available online.

Annual Reassessment Requirement

The property appraiser assesses all property at just value each year. When you establish your homestead exemption, your assessed value is equal to your just/market value. Should the just value of your homestead increase, your assessed value increase is limited to 3 percent or the Consumer Price Index (CPI), whichever is less. This assessment limitation was created in Amendment 10 to the Florida Constitution and is informally known as the "Save Our Homes cap."

In the circumstance where your market value declines, the provisions of the Amendment 10 assessment limitation do not continue to reduce your assessed value. Instead, your assessed value will be increased each year by 3 percent or the Consumer Price Index (CPI), whichever is less, until the assessed value is the same amount as the market/just value. The assessed value can never exceed just value (see s.193.155, F.S. and Rule 12D-8.0062 F.A.C.).

Local Entities with Tax Assessing Authority

The state constitution authorizes several types of local governments to levy property taxes up to a certain amount. County, municipal (city), and school district governments may levy taxes up to 10 mills each. A county that provides municipal services may levy an additional tax as set forth in statute. Special districts 1 (e.g., water management) may be authorized by the constitution or by statute to operate with a variety of millage caps, usually under two mills.

Taxing authorities are required to conduct public hearings on their budgets prior to adopting a budget and setting a millage rate. This is commonly referred to as the truth in millage process (TRIM), and is the best opportunity for property owners to comment on taxing authority budgets. The growth in revenue from property taxes assessed by taxing authorities is capped at a rate equal to the growth in Florida per capita personal income plus new construction unless the governing board of the taxing authority overrides the cap with a super-majority or a unanimous vote.

See the 2006 Millage Rates by County, and the 2006 Taxes Levied by County.

Appeals

As a property owner you have the right to appeal the property appraiser’s assessed value of your property or the property appraiser’s denial of your application for an exemption (such as homestead, veterans, senior citizen, etc.) or property classification (such as agricultural or historic). If you would like to make an appeal, you may do any or all of the following:

Ask for an informal conference with the property appraiser.
File a petition with your local value adjustment board within 25 days after the Notice of Proposed Taxes (or TRIM Notice) was mailed.
File a lawsuit in circuit court.

Informal Conference with Property Appraiser

You have the right to an informal conference with your property appraiser to discuss your assessed value or application for a property exemption or classification. By having an informal conference, you may be able to settle the issue without going to a hearing or going to court. At this informal conference you may:

Bring any documentation you have that may support a change in your assessment or eligibility for an exemption or property classification.
Ask the property appraiser to present facts that support his or her assessment of your property or the denial of an application for an exemption or classification.

Note: Having an informal conference with the property appraiser does not extend your deadline to file a petition with the value adjustment board.

Petition the Value Adjustment Board

You may file a Form DR-486 Petition to the Value Adjustment Board within 25 days from when the Notice of Proposed Taxes (TRIM Notice) was mailed. If you file a petition with the value adjustment board:

You may be represented by an agent, an attorney or anyone else you designate.
You will receive a notice of the date and time of your hearing.
You may reschedule your hearing one time. You must ask in writing to reschedule at least five calendar days before your scheduled hearing.
You have the right to participate in an evidence exchange with the property appraiser.
The value adjustment board will notify you in writing of its decision.

Lawsuit in Circuit Court

You may file a lawsuit in circuit court to challenge the property appraiser’s assessment or denial of an exemption or classification. You are not required to participate in an informal conference with the property appraiser or file a petition with the value adjustment board before filing a lawsuit. In addition meeting with the property appraiser or filing a petition with the value adjustment board does not prevent you from filing a lawsuit.

See the Florida Property Valuations and Tax Data book for specific information on values, millage rates, exemptions, taxes levied by taxing authority and much more.

Do You Have Questions?

How Do I...?
Find out how to calculate property taxes, qualify for an exemption, appeal property values, and much more!

Contact Your Local Property Appraiser
Get answers to questions regarding values, exemptions, or appeals.

Contact Your Local Tax Collector
Get answers to your questions about your tax bill or unpaid taxes.

Property Tax Forms
Find property tax-related form

Issues Affecting Florida Taxpayers
You may also want to review current and past issues affecting Florida taxpayers.

State by State Comparisons

The Tax Foundation has an interesting and informative map that shows property taxes on Owner Occupied Housing By State at http://taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/24078.html as well as an accompanying chart at http://taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/1913.htmls. Be sure to check them out. You can find a wealth of information on taxes of all kinds throughout the country on their website.

Useful Tip: If you are researching real estate on the internet and find a site that provides tax information like www.zillow.com, you should always double check their tax figures with the appropriate county tax assessor. Visit the tax assessor’s website and search by address for the property in question. If you find that the property is homesteaded, you know that your tax liability will likely be higher (Save our Homes/3% cap applied to this home during the years that it was owned by the current owner). Call the tax assessor for specific information on a specific property for total piece of mind.