How to Read Your Florida TRIM Notice and Appeal Your Assessment
Updated October 3, 2026
Every August, Florida property owners get a Truth in Millage (TRIM) notice. It is not a bill, but it is your one chance each year to challenge your value and to tell local officials what you think of their proposed tax rates.
What's on a TRIM notice
The Notice of Proposed Property Taxes is mailed by your county property appraiser, usually in mid to late August. It typically lists:
- Market (just) value: the appraiser's estimate of what the property would sell for as of January 1.
- Assessed value: market value after any cap (Save Our Homes or the 10% non-homestead cap) and classified-use adjustments.
- Exemptions: homestead and any others you have, often shown separately for school and non-school taxes.
- Taxable value: assessed value minus exemptions. This is what millage is applied to.
- Each taxing authority: last year's taxes, taxes if the rolled-back rate is adopted, and taxes under the proposed rate.
- Budget hearing dates for each authority, held in September.
- Non-ad valorem assessments such as fire, solid waste or stormwater fees, which are not based on value.
Check two things first: that your exemptions appear, and that the market value is reasonable compared with recent sales of similar homes. Most successful appeals come from one of these.
The rolled-back rate column
The rolled-back rate is the millage that would raise the same revenue as last year from existing property. If an authority proposes a rate above rolled-back, it is a tax increase even if the millage number itself is unchanged, and it must say so in its hearing notices. Read more in how millage works.
How to appeal, step by step
- Look up your property record on the property appraiser's website. Check square footage, bedrooms, pool, year built and condition. Errors in property characteristics are the easiest fixes.
- Compare sales. Find three to five similar homes nearby that sold close to January 1. If they sold for less than your market value, you have evidence.
- Ask for an informal review. Call or meet with the property appraiser's office. Many disputes end here without a formal petition.
- File a Value Adjustment Board petition (form DR-486) within 25 days of the TRIM mailing date. The filing fee may not exceed $50 per parcel.
- Prepare for the hearing. A special magistrate usually hears the case. Bring your comparable sales, photos and any appraisal. Send your evidence to the property appraiser in advance if your county requires it.
- Pay on time anyway. To keep a value petition alive you generally need to pay all non-ad valorem assessments and at least 75% of the ad valorem taxes before they become delinquent on April 1.
If you lose at the VAB, you can file in circuit court within 60 days of the board certifying its decision.
When appeals are worth it
Homesteads with a large Save Our Homes differential rarely benefit from a market value appeal, because the assessed value is already capped far below market. Appeals matter most for recent buyers, non-homestead property and homes with incorrect data on file.
Frequently asked questions
When do Florida TRIM notices come out?
Most property appraisers mail them in mid to late August. The exact date sets the 25-day deadline for Value Adjustment Board petitions, so note it.
Is the TRIM notice a bill?
No. It shows proposed taxes. The actual bill comes from the tax collector around November 1.
How much does it cost to appeal property taxes in Florida?
The Value Adjustment Board filing fee is capped at $50 per parcel. Many owners file without a lawyer; some hire an agent who works on contingency.
What happens if I miss the 25-day deadline?
Late petitions are accepted only for good cause, at the board's discretion. Otherwise you wait until next year's TRIM notice.