TRIM notice questions?

The Save Our Homes benefit is the difference between the market value and the assessed value. Changes are most likely one of the "recapture rules" in Florida law: 

If your TRIM shows a lower value, it could be that your property's market value stayed the same from the prior year or decreased. Florida law mandates that the assessed value on homestead properties increase by up to 3% each year or the change in CPI, whichever is lower (2.9% for 2025). 

Assessed value can never exceed market value. If the increase in assessed would exceed market, then you are assessed at market value. In this case, the Save Our Homes value would be blank, meaning there is $0 for 2025 since market and assessed are equal values. 

If you purchased the property last year, the Save Our Homes cap from the prior owner is reset on the next January 1 following the purchase. In this case, the value would be blank, meaning there is $0 for 2025 since market and assessed are equal values.

When determining market value, we are required to consider comparable sales from the prior calendar year.  The value shown on the TRIM notice is as of January 1, 2025, not today.  Since market value fluctuates, your property could be worth more because of the market, not because of anything you did.

You are entitled to speak with an appraiser about your market value, but you may wish to look at the sales of similar properties in your neighborhood before contacting us.

Search for your address on our Residential Sales Map

Complete our feedback form, making sure you choose a department.  Entering your account number (shown in the upper-right corner of your TRIM notice) will expedite the routing of your message.

The value of your property, while a part of the formula, does not determine your taxes. 

The budgets set by all the taxing authorities are what raises or lowers your taxes.  The budgets are used by the taxing districts to choose their millage rate.  Millage rates are not a fixed number. They are free to go up and down.They are determined annually and given to the Property Appraiser to perform the mathematical calculation, which is taxable value times millage rates = taxes due.

On your TRIM notice, the yellow column shows the millage rate needed to collect the same amount of money as last year. It is entirely up to the various taxing authorities to use this rate or not.

The Property Appraiser is not a revenue-raising office.  We do not report to the county or any municipality. We report directly to the State of Florida, who does not receive any of your tax dollars.

Our job is simply to appraise property.

We rely on all sales, but pay particular attention to similar properties in similar locations to your home.

To get an idea of the market activity as of January 1, 2025, which is the date of value for tax purposes, search your address in our residential sales map.

When looking at sales, be sure they are comparable to the subject. Homes on a body of water or golf course should be compared to sales of properties also on water or golf courses.  Age, size, and amenities are also important..

By law, taxes (the amount you pay) cannot be appealed.  You can appeal your property's market value, however.

We suggest these steps, in order:

First, get an idea of the market as of January 1, 2025, which is the date of value for tax purposes, search your address in our residential sales map.When looking at sales, be sure they are comparable to the subject. Homes on a body of water or golf course should be compared to sales of properties also on water or golf courses.  Age, size, and amenities are also important..

If the sales do not support your value, use our Contact a Department form to have an appraiser contact you. Entering your account number will speed up the process.

You can file an appeal to the Value Adjustment Board (VAB). For your hearing, be prepared with evidence to support your claim, such as sales of similar properties, cost to build your property, etc.  

Although you just received your notice, it is not showing the value of your property today.  By Florida law, it must reflect the value as of January 1.  The market very well could be down now, but that will be reflected on next year's TRIM notice.  For this year, we must use sales from 2024, as close to 1/1/25 as possible.

First, get an idea of the market as of January 1, 2025, which is the date of value for tax purposes, search your address in our residential sales map.When looking at sales, be sure they are comparable to the subject. Homes on a body of water or golf course should be compared to sales of properties also on water or golf courses.  Age, size, and amenities are also important..

In instances of a known calamity in a prior tax year that was repaired or replaced on or before January 1, your market and assessed values increase when the appraiser applies adjustments while working on your completed building permits for those repairs. The increases applied are based on limitations of calamity rules, as applicable. 

In instances of rebuilding beyond the limitations under Florida law, commonly known as “the calamity rule,” the property appraiser would reset the subject property to full market value and remove all previous assessed value limitations and Save Our Homes benefits.

See our Damage Reporting page for more information.