Q: Properties
in my neighborhood are not selling. I
think the Market Value of my property is less today than indicated on the TRIM
notice. Why arent
the values lower?
A: The Florida Constitution requires the assessed value of
your property to be based on conditions that existed as of January 1st
of this year. Although values in your
neighborhood may have declined further since January 1st, the Market Value
stated on your TRIM notice is our estimate of value as of January 1st. By law, that value was established
utilizing sales that occurred during the prior
year.
Q: Amendment 1 increased the homestead
exemption amount from $25,000 to $50,000, but the taxes on my homestead
property are higher this year than last year.
Did I get the additional exemption?
A: If
the assessed value of your homestead property is greater than $50,000, then you
did receive an additional
homestead exemption. However, the overall tax rates set by Hardee County
taxing authorities have increased resulting in higher taxes (see
tax rates listed below).
-
Homestead property
with an assessed value of $75,000 and above received the full $50,000
exemption
($25,000
original exemption + $25,000 of the additional exemption);
-
Homestead property
valued between $50,000 and $74,999 receive only a portion of the additional
$25,000 exemption
- Homestead property valued under $50,000 did not
receive an additional Homestead
exemption;
- All homestead properties will continue to
receive the original homestead exemption of $25,000;
The
additional homestead exemption applies to all taxing authorities except the
School Board.
Q: The Market Value of my property is ok, but the taxes still
seem too high. Is there anything I can
do about that?
A: The formula for the amount of property tax you pay
is: (Taxable Value χ 1,000) x (Total Millage
Tax Rate) = Taxes Due
A
taxable value of $100,000 for property in the unincorporated area would pay $ 1,752.15
($100,000
χ 1,000) x (17.5215) = $1,752.15
Following is a list of tax rates from the prior year
and this years proposed tax rates:
TAXING
AUTHORITY PRIOR YEARS TAX RATE PROPOSED TAX RATE
Hardee
County 8.5540 8.6537
School
Board (State) 5.2810 5.4670
School
Board (Local) 2.4980 2.4980
Indigent
Health Care 0.3381 0.3335
City
of Wauchula 5.4420 5.4420
City
of Bowling Green 7.2500 7.2500
Town
of Zolfo
Springs 9.0000 9.0000
SWFWMD 0.3866 0.3866
Peace River Basin 0.1827 0.1827
TOTAL of Tax Rates levied in
Unincorporated Area 17.2404 17.5215
TOTAL of Tax Rates levied in City of Wauchula 22.6824 22.9635
TOTAL of Tax Rates levied in City of Bowling Green 24.4904 24.7715
TOTAL of Tax Rates levied in Town of Zolfo Springs 26.2404 26.5215
Only the taxing authorities can adjust the millage tax
rates. If you are concerned
about the level of property taxation, you should attend your taxing
authorities public budget hearings where millage tax rates are finalized. The
dates, times and places of budget hearings are listed on the enclosed TRIM
notice. If you are unable to attend a
meeting you can contact the Taxing Authorities at the numbers listed below.
Hardee County Board of County Commissioners
..863/773-9430
City of Wauchula
..
..863/773-3131
City of Bowling
Green
.
.
.863/375-2255
SWFWMD & Peace River
Basin
..
352/796-7211
School Board
..
.863/773-9058
Town of Zolfo Springs
.
...863/735-0405
Hardee County Indigent Health Care
.
.
863/773-3199
Q: The market value of my homestead
property decreased, but the assessed value increased. The TRIM notice indicates that I will pay
more in property taxes. Why will I pay
more in Property Taxes?
A: Though
this year there was proposed legislation to address this issue, none of the
legislation passed. Currently Florida
Law does not allow a decrease in the assessed value when there is a decrease in
the market value. As a result, the
assessed value will continue to increase by the consumer price index (CPI)
until the assessed value equals the market value. An assessed value increased by .1% over the
prior years assessed value. However, if
there were any improvements made to your property, those improvements are added
to the tax roll at Fair Market Value, resulting in increases that will exceed
the CPI.
Q: I
bought a home last year and my property taxes were only $500, but this year the
taxes are $1500. Why was there such a
drastic increase in taxes?
A: The
taxes on the home you purchased were based on the conditions of the property as
of January 2008. If the previous owner
had a homestead exemption and had resided on the property for a number of
years, then there was a significant tax savings accumulated over the
years. As a new owner of the property,
you are not entitled to the same tax saving benefits as the previous
owner. The value of your property is
based on the market conditions as of January 1st.
Q: I moved into a new home last year and
I filed for Homestead
and Portability this year. There isnt
anything on the TRIM Notice that tells me whether or not I received the tax
saving Portability. How do I know if I
received the benefits of Portability?
A: If
you did not receive a certified letter advising you that you were denied the
benefits of Portability, then more than likely it was granted to you. If you would like to ensure that you received
those benefits, please contact us at 863/773-2196 for verification.
Q: Amendment 1 provided that the assessed
value of non-homestead property could not increase more than 10% over the
previous year? Does that mean that I
will see a tax savings this year?
A: A
tax savings resulting from Amendment 1 will only be recognized in a year when
property values increase more than 10%. This year overall property values
decreased throughout the county, but that doesnt mean that you will see a tax
savings. If the overall tax rate (levied
by taxing authorities) has increased, then you could pay more taxes this year
than you did in the previous year.
Q: I
purchased an agricultural property last year and the taxes I paid were
minimal. Why are this
years taxes so much higher?
A: Each
new owner of an ag parcel
must file an agricultural application prior to March 1st. The application must demonstrate that a bona
fide ag business exists on
the property. If the property taxes have
increased considerably above the taxes paid in the previous year, you may have
missed the opportunity to file for Greenbelt
as the new owner or your request for Greenbelt
was not granted.
Q: What
is the Non Ad Valorem Assessment listed at the bottom of my tax notice and what
are those rates?
A. Non
Ad Valorem Assessments are assessments levied by the Board of County Commissioners
to fund Solid Waste Services and Fire Services. The rates for residential Solid
Waste are $102.76 for
Collections and $70.00 for
Disposal. The rates for Fire Services
are as follows:
Residential - $136.00 per
dwelling
Commercial - .23 per Square Foot
Industrial/Warehouse - .09 per
Square Foot
Institutional - .24 per Square
Foot
Transient Occupancy - $10.00 per
Room Unit/Space Unit
Land -
.49 per Acre with credit for one acre with a
dwelling.
For
additional information concerning these assessments, you can contact the Office
of Management and Budget at 863/773-3199.
