If the value on your TRIM notice is wrong, Florida gives you one short window to challenge it. Here is the informal route, the formal petition, and the evidence that actually moves the number.
- Start with an informal review at the property appraiser's office. Many errors are fixed in days.
- The formal route is a petition to the county Value Adjustment Board, due 25 days after TRIM mailing, with a $15 fee.
- You are contesting the January 1 market value, not the tax rate. Bring comparable sales from the prior year.
- Filing does not pause the bill. Pay at least the required portion by the deadline or the petition is dismissed.
What you can and cannot appeal
A Florida property tax appeal is an argument about value, classification or exemptions. You can contend that the appraiser's market value as of January 1 is too high, that a homestead or other exemption was wrongly denied, that agricultural classification was refused, or that a change of ownership was recorded in error and reset your cap. You cannot appeal the millage rate. Rates are set by elected boards at the September hearings, and the only remedy there is the microphone at the hearing or the ballot box.
That distinction matters because most complaints are really about the bill, not the value. If your market value on the notice is close to what the home would sell for, an appeal will not help. If it is 10% or more above what comparable homes actually sold for last year, it is worth an hour of your time.
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Step one: call the property appraiser
Every county appraiser's office has staff whose job is to review disputed values before they reach a hearing. Call or use the online inquiry form as soon as the notice arrives. Ask which comparable sales the office relied on and check the property record card for factual errors: wrong living area, a bathroom count that includes a half bath twice, a screened patio counted as air-conditioned space, a pool or outbuilding that no longer exists, or a condition rating that predates a roof replaced by an insurer.
Factual corrections are usually made without a hearing. Value disagreements are harder, but a reviewer who sees three clean comparables below the assessment will often adjust. Do not let the informal conversation run past the petition deadline. If you are within a week of it, file the petition and keep talking.
Step two: file the VAB petition
The formal appeal is a petition to the county Value Adjustment Board on Department of Revenue form DR-486. Most counties accept it online through the clerk of court's VAB portal. The deadline is 25 days after the TRIM notices were mailed, printed on your notice, and the filing fee is $15 per parcel. Late petitions are accepted only with a showing of good cause, and the bar is high.
The petition asks for the parcel number, the value you believe is correct, and whether you want to be heard by a special magistrate. In the larger counties every hearing is before a magistrate, an appraiser or attorney contracted by the board, rather than the elected board itself. You may represent yourself, or authorize an agent in writing.
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The evidence that wins
Magistrates decide on evidence, and the evidence that matters is sales of similar property that closed before January 1 of the tax year. A 2026 assessment is judged on 2025 sales. Bring three to five closed sales within the neighborhood, with the same construction type, similar age and size, and adjust for obvious differences. A listing that has not sold proves nothing. A sale from the current year is not evidence of value on the prior January 1.
The second category is condition. Photos of a roof past its life, an unpermitted addition the appraiser counted as finished space, or storm damage that existed on January 1 all justify a lower figure. A recent appraisal from a refinance or purchase is persuasive if its effective date is close to January 1. Florida law also requires the appraiser to deduct the cost of sale from market value when arriving at assessed value, typically 15%, so ask whether that adjustment was applied.
Both sides must exchange evidence before the hearing. You provide yours at least 15 days before; the appraiser provides theirs at least 7 days before if you asked for it in writing. Read theirs. If their comparables are stronger than yours, withdraw and save the afternoon.
Pay the bill while you wait
Filing a petition does not stop the November bill. Florida requires you to pay at least 75% of the ad valorem tax and 100% of the non-ad valorem assessments before the April 1 delinquency date, or the petition is dismissed. Most people pay the bill in full to keep the early-payment discount and are refunded with interest if the appeal succeeds. The discount schedule is in our guide to the November property tax discount.
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Submit a Contract →Exemption denials and the reset trap
Two appeals have nothing to do with sales comparables. If your homestead exemption was denied or removed, the petition contests the denial, and the evidence is residency: driver's license, voter registration, and the date you moved in. If the appraiser recorded a change of ownership that reset your Save Our Homes cap when none should have applied, such as adding a spouse to the deed or transferring into a revocable trust, the petition asks the board to restore the cap. Both are common after a closing. How the cap works, and which transfers do and do not reset it, is explained in Save Our Homes explained.
If you are mid-transaction
A pending petition follows the property, not the owner. If you sell while a petition is open, disclose it in the contract, decide who receives any refund, and tell the closing agent so the proration reflects the value actually being contested. Buyers should note that a successful appeal by the seller lowers the assessment for that tax year only; the sale itself resets the value for the following year. For what that means for your first bill, see why Florida property taxes go up after you buy.
Related Reading
How to Read Your Florida TRIM Notice (2026 Guide)
The August notice is not a bill, but it is the only look you get at next year's taxes while you can still do something about them.
Save Our Homes Explained: Florida's 3% Cap and Who Gets It
The 1992 amendment limits homestead assessment increases to 3% a year or inflation, whichever is lower.
Florida Property Tax Calculator 2026: Free, All 67 Counties
Free Florida property tax calculator: choose your county, enter the price, and see annual and monthly tax with the homestead exemption applied.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the deadline to appeal property taxes in Florida?
25 days after the property appraiser mails the TRIM notices, which lands in mid-September in most counties. The exact date is printed on your notice.
How much does it cost to file a VAB petition in Florida?
$15 per parcel, paid to the clerk of court when you file form DR-486. Some counties waive the fee for exemption denials.
Do I need a lawyer to appeal my Florida property assessment?
No. Owners routinely represent themselves before the special magistrate. You may authorize an agent, appraiser or attorney in writing if you prefer.
What evidence do I need for a Florida property tax appeal?
Closed sales of comparable properties from the year before the January 1 assessment date, plus photos and documents showing condition problems that existed on January 1. Listings and current-year sales carry little weight.
Do I still have to pay my tax bill while my appeal is pending?
Yes. At least 75% of the ad valorem tax and all non-ad valorem assessments must be paid before April 1 or the petition is dismissed. Overpayments are refunded with interest if you win.
Can I appeal my property taxes because the rate went up?
No. Appeals address value, classification and exemptions. Millage rates are set by elected boards at September budget hearings and cannot be appealed to the Value Adjustment Board.