Our mission is to provide fair and equitable tax assessments every year based upon the market in accordance with the Florida Constitution, law and requirements, while delivering efficient and courteous service to the Citizens of Citrus County.
Real Property-the rights to land and improvements to the land.
Tangible Personal Property-Includes items such as furniture, tools, machinery, appliances, signs, equipment, leasehold improvements, supplies, leased equipment and any other equipment, including agricultural equipment, used in a business. Tangible Personal Property returns must be filed annually by businesses prior to April 1st.
Throughout the year, the Property Appraiser's staff collects data on real property in Citrus County. By July, the market values are determined and the taxing authorities begin the process to set their millage rates. The Notice of Proposed Property Tax, also referred to as TRIM (Truth in Millage), are mailed to each property owner. This notice provides property owners with the amount of anticipated tax. If you do not receive your TRIM notice in August, please contact our office.
All property owners have the right to challenge the market value of their property. To challenge your market value, make an inquiry with the Property Appraiser's office within the time period stated on the TRIM notice. After reviewing the Market value with the appraiser for your area, if you are not satisfied with the justification of the value, you may file a petition with the Value Adjustment Board before the deadline noted on your TRIM. A detailed process follows the filing of a petition which is provided by the Clerk of Court.
To question the millage rates, attend the hearings set by the various taxing authorities – locations, dates and time will be listed on your TRIM. On or about November 1st , the Tax Collector mails the tax bills. The tax bill is based on the taxable value of your property and the millage rate in your area. The amount of tax shown under “March” is the full amount of the tax. You have an opportunity to pay your taxes early to receive a discount. If you do not receive your tax bill in November, please contact the Tax Collector's office at 352-341-6500.
Market value means the amount in cash or its equivalent a willing buyer would pay to a willing seller, for a property offered in the open market for a reasonable amount of time, both knowledgeable as to the property’s uses, seeking to maximize their gains and acting without duress.
The Florida Constitution was amended effective January 1, 1995; to limit the annual increase in assessed value for homesteaded properties. This amendment is commonly referred to as “Save our Homes” or “SOH”. The assessed value of your homestead property may not be more than 3% higher than last year’s assessed value unless you have made changes, additions or improvements to the property or the ownership of the property has changed. The assessed value may never be higher than the market value. Department of Revenue rules require Assessed Value to increase by the lower of 3% or Consumer Price Index until it is equal to Just value.
Florida residents are entitled to some exemptions under s.3 or s.6, Art. VII of the State Constitution and Chapter 196 Florida statutes if they qualify. Exemptions are subtracted from the assessed value of your property to arrive at a taxable value. The second $25,000 exemption passed under Amendment One does not apply to School district tax levies.
The assessed value of property minus the amount of any exemption applicable to non-school district tax levies under s.3 or s.6, Art. VII of the State Constitution and chapter 196.
The assessed value of property minus the amount of any exemption applicable to school district tax levies under s.3 or s.6, Art. VII of the State Constitution and chapter 196.
TRIM is the acronym for TRUTH IN MILLAGE. The notice provides all property owners with the proposed amount of tax, the tax from last year and the amount of tax using the roll back rate. The roll back rate provides the taxing authorities with the same amount of money they levied the prior year based on the new taxable values of the current year.
Property owners should contact our office if they believe that the “MARKET” value of their property or the exemption amount is incorrect. Market Value means the amount in cash, a willing buyer who did not have to buy, would pay a willing seller, who did not have to sell, less the approximate allowable costs of the sale. If you agree that the market value of your property was at least as much as shown on the notice for the current year, you do not have to do anything. If you have any questions about this value, we encourage you to contact our office. One of the appraisers will discuss your valuation with you. Our database contains all sales that have been recorded in the Official Records of Citrus County. These lists are available for your use.
The Property Appraiser does NOT set the tax rate (millage). The tax rate is set by the various taxing authorities throughout Citrus County. The Board of County Commissioners, City Council members for Inverness and Crystal River, Southwest Florida Water Management District, Mosquito Control, and the Homosassa Special Water District all levy taxes against your property, both real estate and tangible personal property. The School Board levies a tax along with the Department of Education located in Tallahassee. The millage rate set by the Department of Education is the largest portion of the school millage rate. The local school board sets two small millage rates each year. Millage rates are set based on the amount of tax dollars the taxing authorities need to fund their budgets for the upcoming year. Each of the authorities provides services to property owners. If the total millage rate for your area is set at 20 mills, you will pay $20.00 for every $1,000 of the taxable value of your property.
If you built a new home during the current calendar year, the value of your home will appear on the next tax roll. Example: your home was completed during 2007, the value of your home will appear on the 2008 tax roll. The 2007 tax bill will be for land, plus any improvements that may have been there prior to January 1, 2008. If you added on to your home in 2007, that additional value will appear on the 2008 tax roll. Be sure to check out the HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION portion of our website for information regarding how to apply.