Q: What is coming up on the calendar of the Property Appraiser’s Office?
A: Our office has completed valuations needed for the creation of the tax roll. This tax roll was submitted to the county taxing authorities and the Florida Department of Revenue on June 1. With that submission, we also submitted our annual budget, since the taxing authorities fund our office.
Q: Can you give us any insight into the numbers on this year’s tax roll?
A: This year, the Just Market Value of the tax roll is $61.2 billion, which is the largest tax roll ever for St. Johns County. The Taxable Value is $40 billion, which represents a 15.26 percent increase over the initial submission in 2021. These increases are due to a combination of an increase in property values as well as the addition this year of $1.9 billion in new construction.
Q: What happens next?
A: The Florida Department of Revenue has 30 days to review the tax roll and the taxing authorities use the tax roll to create their budgets. We will resubmit the First Final Tax Roll on July 1. This 30-day window allows our team to do quality control work and make any adjustments as well as answer any questions from the Florida Department of Revenue. Then, TRIM notices will be mailed.
Q: What can you tell us about TRIM notices?
A: TRIM is the most important document a property owner will get in St. Johns County. They will be mailed by our office on Aug. 19 and are also available online (www.sjcpa.us) as of that date. Within the mailing, property owners will receive a copy of the State of Florida Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights and a list of exemptions in addition to the TRIM notice. The TRIM notice also contains the date and time of the budget hearing for each of the taxing authorities, so property owners can attend to learn more.
Q: What will the TRIM notice contain?
A: The TRIM notice shows the market value, the assessed value and the taxable value of your property for 2021 and proposed for 2022. It will also show any exemptions for the property. Make sure you check your TRIM notice for accuracy as to values and exemptions.The taxes are listed by taxable authority and will show what the taxes would be if the county made no changes to the budget. This is called the “rollback rate,” essentially what your taxes would be this year to allow the county to collect the same amount of money as last year. TRIM will also show the proposed taxes if the proposed budget is passed; this is what would be on the tax bill.
Q: What should property owners do if they disagree with the value assessed by your office?
A: When the TRIM notice is mailed, a 25-day clock starts. If the taxpayer has any discrepancy with the Property Appraiser’s Office, they should contact us to discuss. If we can’t come to an agreement, the taxpayer can file an appeal with the Value Adjustment Board. It is very important to do this within the 25-day window, because if not, a taxpayer will lose his or her right to appeal.
Q: What is the best way for our readers to contact you?
A: Our office is located at 4030 Lewis Speedway Ste. 203, (904) 827-5500. It is open Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Also, readers can email me at Eddie@sjcpa.us or call me at (904) 827-5500.
