Manatee County Property Appraiser

Table of Contents:

What information and transactions are handled by the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s office?

The property appraiser’s office handles a variety of different information and as such, they will be able to answer in great detail any information relating to the following fields. Homestead Exemption application or questions

• Exemptions include the Widow, Low Income Senior, Disabled Veteran, and homestead exemption. They can assist with questions relating both to the application and other questions regarding these exemptions.
• Questions regarding the assessed value, the way it is determined, and the taxable value of each property
• Questions regarding ownership changes
• MH402 – Information on how to declare your mobile home as a real property
• Information regarding locating a parcel that has no assigned address
• Maps and aerial photos of the area and properties within it
• Value proration sheet questions and information
• Questions and closure of a Tangible Personal Property business account

The Manatee County property appraisal office can cover all of your questions regarding your property value and property tax status. They can also help you to file for an exemption and to understand your eligibility for exemptions

How are properties appraised in Manatee County?

Property appraisals for taxation purposes in Manatee County are determined through the use of an incredibly straightforward formula, multiplying the Taxable value of a property by the tax rate. However, things have gotten much more complicated with many different laws and amendments, such as the Save Our Homes Amendment and Amendment One. Both of these amendments affect the estimation of taxes.

For estimating property taxes before the introduction of these amendments’ appraisers considered:

• Property location
• Property’s taxable value
• Taxing district millage rate that was to be used in the calculation
• Exemptions that the property owners were eligible to receive

These four key factors are no longer enough because of the new amendments that exist, which is why a few more areas need to be examined. These areas are:

1. What were the effects of the market prices and fluctuations on the property

2. What type of exemption did the homeowners receive

3. Is the property value dictated by the Save Our Homes (3%) cap value?

4. Will the owner benefit from both a 10 percent and a 3 percent cap?

5. Does the owner benefit from a Florida veteran discount?

If you are looking to purchase a new property or already own a property, you may want to consider all of the exemptions that you are eligible for to ensure that you are not paying more on your taxes than what you would be required.

Manatee County property appraiser: how much can homestead taxes go up each year?

You may be aware that apart from saving on your property’s taxed value, you can also save money because of a max cap on how much taxes can increase each year. The cap is known as the “Save Our Homes” amendment, and it is a Constitutional Amendment first approved by the voters in Florida in 1992.

According to the Save Our Home cap, the assessed value of a property that benefits from a homestead exemption cannot exceed 3 percent, or the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Therefore, of those two values, the lesser one will be used.

The assessed value can also never be more than the property’s market value will be. The year that a homeowner begins benefiting from this cap is when the property gains its homestead exemption. However, if you decide to purchase a new home and move from your previous established homestead property in Florida, you may be able to transfer your Save our Home cap. This is known as portability, and you are eligible for it if the value of your old home is less than the value of your new home. If it was, you might be able to transfer a percentage of your cap savings. While this may not be the total amount you were benefitting from, it would still be better than starting from an entirely new base for your new property.

What is the homestead exemption in Manatee County?

Thehomestead exemption is essentially an exemption created for property owners that reside within their property, so long as they can also provide proof of their Florida residency. For legal homeowners who have a permanent residence in Florida before January 1, applying for homestead exemption in Manatee County should be pretty straightforward. You can complete the application online or in person by visiting the Property Appraiser’s office. The application will need to be filed on March 1 at the latest. According to the Manatee County office, it is always best to try to complete the application online first through their official website. Your original homestead application will also act as the application for your additional homestead exemption.

The additional homestead exemption gives you an extra exemption of $25,000 if your property’s value is more significant than $50,000. However, this second exemption does not apply to the school board millage.

How much is the Manatee County homestead exemption?

The homestead exemption can reduce up to $25,000 in a property’s assessed value. To be eligible for a homestead exemption, you will need to have a property you legally own that you reside in and apply for the homestead exemption before March 1. There is also an additional homestead exemption that some people may be eligible for.

The additional homestead exemption allows for another $25,000 to be taken out of the assessed value of property owners whose property value is above $50,000. However, the additional homestead exemption cannot be applied toward the school board millage.

How do I file for Homestead in Manatee County?

If you want to apply for a homestead exemption in Manatee County, the first thing you should do is gather all of the necessary paperwork. Whether you choose to apply online, use the official Manatee County webpage or decide to file for your exemption in office, you will need to provide certain documents to prove that you will be eligible for the homestead exemption that you are filing for.

The files that you will need to provide include:

• Social security numbers
• Florida driver’s licenses or identification card
• Privately owned vehicles registered in Florida
• Manatee County voter’s registration card, or if not available, the Declaration of Domicile
• Proof that residency was established before January 1
• A deed or tax bill in the case that the property was not yet in the applicant’s name. For online applications, make sure that your name is already on the property’s deed.
• Resident Alien Card, if you are not a US Citizen
• Copy of the trust agreement if the property is part of a trust

If you are the legal owner of a property you occupy in Florida, you are advised to file for homestead exemption as swiftly as possible. The sooner your residency is established, the faster you go through this process, the calmer your tax season.

If you need the information regarding the application for a homestead exemption to be mailed to you, you can request that a copy is sent to the property owner. This will contain all of the instructions for filing for your homestead application.

What happens if I do not pay my property taxes in Manatee County?

Property taxes that remain unpaid in Manatee County will become delinquent on April 1 unless an extension has been passed providing you with additional time. If your taxes are unpaid by April 1, at that time, your interest rates and fees will be added to your initial tax amount.

The interest rate of personal property taxes is 1.5% per month, and there is also a $3 advertising and $10 collection fee. In addition, according to the Florida statutes, tax collectors must conduct an annual tax certificate sale before June 1 for the land that real estate taxes remain delinquent for the previous year.

If your property taxes remain unpaid, then it is within the tax collectors’ right to issue a warrant to seize the property, after which point it can be sold in a public auction for the taxes to be paid off.

You cannot make partial payments on your taxes, but you can pay using cash, a check, cashier’s, debit cards, certified tax, or money order. You cannot use a credit card for the payment in the tax collector’s offices, but you can use one if you make the payment online.

What is the status of my property tax payment in Manatee County?

If you make yourproperty tax payment through mail or drop off your tax payment, you should know that the standard timeframe for processing is five days from the day the tax payment has been received. Therefore, always allow some time before checking in to see your payment status if you choose either of these methods.

If you are paying delinquent taxes, then you will need to send through the payment in advance so that they can have it processed by the last business day of the month. Postmark is not honored for delinquent taxes.

You can print your tax payment receipt through the Manatee County property tax website. The canceled check can also work as a receipt. There are no receipts dropped off, even when you provide the postage-paid return.

If you want to find your tax information, the Manatee County property tax information is your best option. From that website, you will be able to see the exact date of payment as is reflected on your tax information. You can also pay all your property taxes, print receipts, duplicate bills, and even access your property tax information from records. Unfortunately, the payment status cannot be confirmed by phone.

Summary

In Manatee County, there are many property tax options for you to benefit from, such as caps and exemptions that allow you to lower your property tax amount. You can easily check the status of your property taxes online. If your taxes are delinquent, be aware that extra fees and costs will be attached to them.