Understanding the real estate tax laws in Florida can be tricky-there are several different factors that can sway the rate at which you're taxed. The size of your property tax bill depends on two main factors-the assessed value of your property, and the tax rate (expressed as tax dollars paid per thousand dollars of assessed property value) for each local government body in your area which taxes property. For example, the property you purchase may be field to taxes by the County, the School Board, the City, and discrete designated district organizations such as the Hospital District and the Water administration District. You will also be affected by whether or not you live in a society development District (Cdds)-these have extra tax regulations that will sway how much property tax you pay. There are other considerations, too, such as Homestead Exemptions and the "Save our Homes" amendment, which will limit the amount of property tax you pay.
If you are buying property in Florida, or inspecting relocating to Tampa, Florida, understanding property tax laws is particularly important, because the amount of property tax that is payable is field to turn once you make the purchase. property values are reassessed each time a property changes hands, and the assessed value influences how much property tax you pay. As a rule, the assessed value of a property you buy will typically be nearby 83% of the sale price of the home. Note that with home prices in many areas of Tampa on the rise, it's particularly prominent to get as correct an evaluation as possible before buying to avoid any unpleasant surprises in the future.
County Taxes
Your tax rate varies depending on which county you live in, and which part of the county you live in. This is because within a county, obvious regions may be incorporated, and other regions may be unincorporated. Those regions which are unincorporated have slightly lower property taxes. For example, unincorporated Tampa regions such as areas within Lutz and New Tampa are field to slightly lower property taxes than incorporated regions such as the City of Tampa and Temple Terrace.
Community development District Tax
If you live in a scholar Planned society in Tampa or are inspecting relocating to one, your property will be field to society development District Tax. Developers use this tax as a means of sharing the cost of land and society development among the individual lots and homes in that community. This tax enables the development of Tampa communities with added amenities such as parks, society centers and other recreation areas that make these areas absorbing and pleasant places to live. These taxes are normally payable for a fixed amount of time-up to twenty years-after which the tax no longer applies. Cost of this tax is tied to the property, not the owner. This means that if you purchase a property in a Cdd, you as the new owner will be required to pay the Cdd tax. The length of time the tax is payable does not turn if the property changes hands. So if, for example, you purchase a ten-year-old property in a society with a twenty-year Cdd tax, you'd be paying the bond part of the tax for an additional one ten years.
If you're inspecting purchasing property in such a community, it's prominent to find out how much the Ccd tax is, and how many years of Cost are remaining. Note that Cdd taxes vary based on the amenities ready in the community, and that there may be other fees associated with the property such as those required to speak society tasteless areas. If you are the owner of a Cdd property you will likely be field to paying every year fees for the maintenance of tasteless areas even after the bond part of the tax has been paid in full.
Homestead Exemption
Homestead Exemption allows all Florida homeowners who are legal residents of the state to deduct ,000 from the assessed value of their former residence, meaning that the taxable value of former residences is reduced. There are other exemptions which apply to other groups of residents-these consist of disability exemptions, exemptions for senior citizens and veterans, and an exemption for those who are legally blind. To be eligible for an exemption in any given year, you must take proprietary of your home by December 31 and must apply for homestead exemption by March 31st the following year. Exemptions are not granted automatically-you must apply for any exemption you would like to receive, and you are field to approval based on obvious requirements, which depend on the type of exemption you are applying for. If you qualify for a Homestead Exemption, you may also qualify to defer part or all of your property taxes for any given year. For more information, see your tax assessor's office.
The Florida "Save Our Homes" Amendment
If a homeowner qualifies and applies for Homestead Exemption this guarantees the property's assessed value cannot rise more than three percent each year. This law is a follow of the "Save our Homes" amendment, which states that every year property evaluation figures cannot exceed the lower of 3% of the prior year's assessment, or the percent increase in the consumer Price Index. This amendment protects existing homeowners, but note that if you purchase property, it will not be protected by "Save our Homes" automatically-when the property changes hands, the assessed value cap is lifted, and you do not qualify for security until you accumulate a Homestead Exemption. However, once you have obtained a Homestead Exemption, you will automatically be protected by the "Save our Homes" amendment.
The "Save our Homes" amendment means it is particularly prominent that you not rely on existing property tax values if you are inspecting purchasing any home in Tampa or within all of Florida-a protected home has an artificially low assessed value, and depending on the region in which you purchase and the current real estate market, the assessed value may increase sharply once the property has changed hands.
understanding Florida Real Estate Taxes