About Real Estate Property Tax

The real estate tax bill is a combined notice of ad-valorem taxes and non ad-valorem assessments. Ad-valorem taxes are based on the value of the real estate and any improvements (structures, buildings, etc.) on the property. Non-ad valorem assessments are based on factors other than the property value such as acreage.

Paying your Real Estate Property Taxes

Florida law provides for certain discounts on current taxes if they are paid before March of the following year. Discounts are determined according to the POSTMARK of your payment. Tax bills are mailed out by November 1st of each year with the following discounts allowed for early payment:

• 4% if paid in November
• 3% if paid in December
• 2% if paid in January
• 1% if paid in February
• Gross taxes become due in March - 0% discount

If your taxes are at least $100.00 you may choose to pay next year’s taxes in installments. For more information you may call the tax department of the Tax Collector's Office at (772) 226-1343 or see Property Taxes – Installment Payment Plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

According to Florida Law, it is the responsibility of the property owner to see that a bill is received and taxes are paid. Tax Statements are sent to the owner at the address listed on the certified tax roll. If you move, it is your responsibility to send written notification to the Property Appraiser.
You should receive a separate tax bill for each property you own. Please verify that the legal description on the tax bill you received is for all of your property. If you are missing bills, please contact our office immediately for duplicate bills at (772) 226-1343, or you may visit our website to print your bill.

If you do not receive a bill by November 9th, notify our office immediately or you can obtain one here.

If you received a real estate tax bill for property you no longer own, please forward it to the new owner or return it to this office.
If you received a tangible personal property tax bill for property you no longer own, but you did own on January 1, you are still responsible for paying the taxes.
If you did not own the tangible personal property on or after January 1 you need to contact the Property Appraiser immediately at (772) 226-1370.

If your mailing address changed, you will need to change your address with the Property Appraiser. The Property Appraiser's website has a Change of Address form available that you can submit online. For more information about name and address changes, please contact the Property Appraiser at (772) 226-1469.

If you received a notice with "Do Not Pay" printed across the bottom, a mortgage company requested your original bill.
If your taxes are not escrowed through a mortgage company, you may submit payment with the "Do Not Pay" notice.
If your taxes are escrowed and you received a bill that does not have the “Do Not Pay” message, you should contact your mortgage company immediately.

If the message 'BACK TAXES REMAIN UNPAID" appears on your bill, this means in addition to the tax bill you have received, there are also delinquent taxes due on your account.
If this message appears on your current tax bill, you should contact the tax department at the Tax Collector's Office immediately at (772) 226-1343 to determine the amount due for the delinquent tax.

Paid receipts can be printed anytime from our payment center , or you may contact our office at (772) 226-1343 and we can further assist you.

If you qualify, you may choose to pay next year's taxes on the quarterly installment plan. Otherwise, all taxes are due and payable in full. We are unable to accept partial payments on current or delinquent real estate tax bills. You can find more information on the quarterly installment plan here.

Remember, you must plan ahead! If you wait until you receive your tax bill in November, it will be too late to pay by installment for that year.

Florida law entitles you to defer payment of a portion of your tax bill or in some cases all of your bill if you are eligible for homestead exemption. This also depends on your age and income.
Interest is charged on the deferred taxes and treated as a lien against your property. Taxes and interest are due only upon your death, if you sell your home, or if your homestead exemption status changes. Application must be made with the Tax Collector's office on or before March 31st.
For more information, see Property Tax Deferral.

No matter when you purchase the property, as the owner, you are responsible for paying the entire tax bill mailed in November.
However, taxes are normally prorated at the closing and credit is given to you by the seller for the time during the year that you were not the owner. This credit is between you and the seller and is reflected on the closing statement. No money is given by the seller to the Tax Collector as partial payment of that year's taxes.
If you are unsure if you received credit from the seller, please contact the closing agent that handled your transaction.

The Tax Collector is an agent for local government agencies for the billing and collection of revenue. The Tax Collector has no control or authority regarding the assessed value of property, how the amount is determined, or the amount of the tax that is due.
According to Florida law, your tax bill is a combined notice of both ad valorem taxes (which means the amount is based on value) and non-ad valorem assessments (which means the amount is based on factors other than value).