Truth In Millage (TRIM) - Notice of Proposed Property Taxes
The Notice of Proposed Property Taxes, also called a 'Truth in Millage' (T.R.I.M.) Notice, is mailed to property owners in mid-August each year. It is not a bill, but rather an estimate of your taxes based on the proposed tax rates, your property value and exemptions. The notice outlines your property's market, assessed and taxable values and any exemptions you may have.
Market value is our office's best estimate of what a willing buyer would have paid a willing seller for the property as of January 1. The market value is based on real estate transactions from the previous year and comparable values in your area. The market value determined by the Property Appraiser's Office and reflected on your notice is for ad valorem taxation purposes only.
The assessed value is generally the market value limited by the 'Save Our Homes' (SOH) cap on homesteaded property, the 10% cap on non-homesteade property or portability. The assessed value of homesteaded property cannot increase more than 3% a year unless there are changes made to the property or changes in ownership. If the property has a classified use value, such as for agriculture, the assessed value column is its classified use value.
The notice also lists your exemptions. Exemptions lower your assessed value further to create a taxable value on which your taxes are based. If you bought this property during the current calendar year, and your seller qualified for exemptions, the exemptions shown are those that your seller was granted. These exemptions and the 'Save Our Homes' cap, if applicable, will be removed for the next year. You must apply for your own exemptions. If you bought this property during the previous calendar year and you applied for exemptions for the current tax year and none are shown in the 'Exemptions' section, you should contact the Property Appraiser's Office immediately.
The taxable values listed on your notice may vary by taxing authority since some exemptions apply only to certain taxing authorities. All taxing authorities must hold public hearings before setting their tax rates. The dates, times and places of these hearings are shown on the back of your T.R.I.M. notice.
The mailing of the T.R.I.M. Notice begins the 25 day appeal period. If you disagree with the value set by the Property Appraiser's Office or feel you should have qualified for an exemption, please contact the Property Appraiser's Office for an Informal Review. If you are not satisfied with the outcome or rather not discuss the matter with the Property Appraiser's Office, you may file a formal petition with the county's Value Adjustment Board. Your formal petition form must be received by the VAB by the 25th day following the mailing of the Notices of Proposed Property Taxes. (2011 Deadline was September 13, 2011)
The Property Appraiser does not set the tax rate, bill or collect taxes.
For more information, please refer to the T.R.I.M. Frequently Asked Questions page or contact us.