Broward County Property Appraiser Lori Parrish Answers Your Questions

Lori Parrish broward County Property appraiser

This month Parrish fields the question: “How Can I Tell If I Got My Second Homestead Exemption”. Do you know if your Homestead Exemtion has been applied?

Question: Dear Lori,

I just received my “Do Not Pay” proposed tax notice from your office. I have a hard time understanding what happened to that second $25,000 Homestead Exemption Florida voters approved in January. How do I know I received it?

M.M., Dania Beach, FL

Answer: Our office has been deluged with questions asking where the additional $25,000 Homestead Exemption is. Our office automatically applied the 2nd homestead to all qualifying properties this year.

Amendment 1 provides an additional Homestead Exemption of up to $25,000 applied to assessed value above $50,000. If your assessed value is $75,000 and up, your exemption will be the original $25,000 Homestead Exemption plus the full $25,000 additional Homestead.

The second $25,000 is NOT printed in the “Base Exemptions” box at the top of your “TRIM” (Truth in Millage) Notice. By law, “Base Exemptions” are only those exemptions which apply to all taxing authorities: $25,000 Homestead, Widow/Widower, Disabled Veteran, and Disability.

The second $25,000 Homestead, the Senior’s Additional Exemption and the Florida Combat Veteran Disability exemptions are not “Base Exemptions” as they do not apply to the School Board portion of taxes. Instead these savings are deducted in the mathematical calculation used to reach the total proposed tax amount listed at the bottom of your TRIM Notice.

Look for the upper right hand box on your TRIM Notice for a listing of all qualified property tax exemptions. It will state “2 Homestd” if you qualify. Taxpayers may look up their properties on our website at www.bcpa.net for a more detailed explanation of the property values, exemptions and taxes, or contact us at 954.357.6830 and we will provide an explanation to you.

A priority concern to many Fort Lauderdale area residents is the value of their homes. A constitutional county officer installed by the electorate under State law, the Broward County Property Appraiser determines the property values that serve as the basis for our real estate tax obligation as well as our equity access.

The Property Appraiser does not set the millage rate or create exemptions useful for reducing an assessment. The Appraiser simply determines whether or not a property owner is eligible to receive statutory exemptions for which they apply. State law assigns taxing authority to municipalities and other quasi-governmental entities such as school boards, hospital districts and water districts.