How to Read Your Florida TRIM Notice in 2026

Section 1: Property Information (Top of the Notice)

The top section of your TRIM notice identifies your property with your name, mailing address, parcel ID number, and the property address being assessed. The mailing date is printed here as well — this is the date that starts your 25-day appeal countdown. Check this date carefully and add 25 days to find your personal VAB petition deadline. Also verify that the property description matches your actual property — errors in parcel identification are rare but do occur.

• ✓Property owner name — verify this is correct
• ✓Parcel ID number — your unique property identifier in county records
• ✓Property address — the property being assessed (may differ from mailing address)
• ✓Mailing date — THIS starts your 25-day appeal clock
• ✓Your deadline = mailing date + 25 days

Section 2: Assessed Value and Exemptions (The Critical Numbers)

This is the most important section of your TRIM notice. It shows your just value (market value as determined by the county appraiser), your assessed value after any assessment caps, and your taxable value after exemptions are applied. The just value is what the county appraiser believes your home is worth as of January 1 of the tax year. If this number is higher than what comparable homes are selling for, you have grounds for a VAB petition.

• ✓Just Value — county's estimate of your property's market value as of January 1
• ✓Assessed Value — just value minus any assessment caps (Save Our Homes limits annual increases to 3% for homestead properties)
• ✓Exemption Amount — homestead exemption ($50,000 for most primary residences) and other exemptions
• ✓Taxable Value — assessed value minus exemptions; this is what your tax rate applies to
• ✓If just value > recent comparable sales: you have appeal grounds

Section 3: Proposed Taxes (What You'll Owe)

This section shows the proposed tax amounts from each taxing authority — county government, school board, municipal government, special districts, and water management districts. Each line shows the taxing authority name, the proposed millage rate (tax rate per $1,000 of taxable value), and the proposed tax amount. The total at the bottom is your estimated annual property tax bill if the proposed assessments and millage rates are adopted. Reducing your just value through a successful appeal reduces every line in this section proportionally.

Section 4: Prior Year Comparison

Your TRIM notice shows your prior year assessment alongside the proposed current year assessment, letting you see the year-over-year change at a glance. Florida's Save Our Homes cap limits annual assessment increases to 3% for homestead properties — so if your assessed value jumped more than 3% and you have a homestead exemption, that's worth investigating. For non-homestead properties (rentals, second homes, investment properties) there is no cap, so large year-over-year jumps are more common and more frequently worth challenging.

• ✓Prior year just value vs current year just value
• ✓Homestead properties: assessed value increase capped at 3% annually
• ✓Non-homestead properties: no cap — can increase without limit
• ✓If your just value jumped significantly: compare to recent sales immediately
• ✓New purchases: assessment may reset to purchase price, which can cause a large first-year increase

How to Spot Errors That Justify an Appeal

Beyond comparing your just value to market data, review your TRIM notice for factual errors in how the county has classified your property. These errors directly inflate your assessment and are often easier to win on appeal than pure market value arguments.

• ✓Wrong square footage — check county records against your actual home size
• ✓Incorrect bedroom or bathroom count — common in older records
• ✓Pool listed that doesn't exist, or pool not listed that does
• ✓Wrong construction quality grade — misclassification inflates value significantly
• ✓Homestead exemption missing — if this is your primary residence and no exemption shows, apply immediately
• ✓Wrong property use code — residential vs commercial classification errors

When Your TRIM Notice Means You Should Appeal

You have strong appeal grounds when your just value exceeds what comparable homes have sold for in your neighborhood in the past 12 months, when you find factual errors in your property description, when your assessment increased dramatically year-over-year on a non-homestead property, or when your effective tax rate significantly exceeds neighboring comparable properties. TaxAppeal USA checks all of these factors automatically when you enter your address — our system compares your assessment to recent comparable sales and flags properties where an appeal is likely to succeed.

Frequently Asked Questions