DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. – Truth in Millage Rate (TRIM) notices are going out to Duval County homeowners Friday.
Every homeowner in Florida receives a letter from their county property appraiser about the second week of August with information about their property tax valuations.
Duval County Property Appraiser Joyce Morgan sat down with News4JAX to answer some commonly asked questions.
It may seem like just another piece of junk mail, but Morgan said homeowners should pay careful attention to what their TRIM notice says.
“It’s basically telling property owners what we expect their tax bill will be this year,” Morgan said. “The first thing is we do not want you to throw it away, that is the absolute first thing. And if you’ll notice, at the top, it says, do not pay. So that is the thing that usually drives people crazy because it says don’t pay. So, I don’t need it. It’s not your bill, but it’s your estimate. So, you really do need to keep it. You do need to look at it. You do need to see what changes there are.”
To better understand how to interpret a TRIM notice, read the example below.
People are encouraged to look out for their 2024 taxable value, proposed tax rates, assessed value, and any exemptions they may have.
Homeowners have the right to petition their proposed property taxes if they think something might not be right. Morgan said the first thing people need to do if they disagree with the notice is to contact the property appraiser’s office.
“You need to contact us. That’s the first thing that’s called an informal protest. If you just contact us by the telephone, or you come down here to the property appraiser’s office and you talk to some of our specialists, then that is informal,” Morgan. “But if you see that it cannot be resolved just through the telephone or through a visit down here, then you do have the right to file a formal protest, and that protest will go before the Value Adjustment Board.”
If you disagree with your property tax valuations, remember you only have 25 days to file a petition for adjustment. Petitions must be filed on or before Sept. 10.
For more FAQs about TRIM notices, click here.