The Truth In Millage Notices, or TRIM, for short, went in the U.S. mail this week for property owners in Sarasota County, Property Appraiser Bill Furst reported in a news release.
The TRIM notices are mailed every August to let property owners know the amount of money they likely will be expected to pay when they receive their tax bills in November.
The top portion of the TRIM is divided into color-coded columns to help differentiate possible scenarios:
• Yellow column: This is what your tax likely will be if there are no changes to any of the budgets of the taxing authorities, including the Sarasota County Commission and the School Board.
• Blue column: This represents what your taxes will likely be if all of the taxing authorities shown adopt their proposed budgets at the upcoming meetings that are listed on the reverse side of the notice.
Each of the two scenarios uses the Red column to calculate the tax amounts. This column contains the taxable values as determined by the Sarasota County property appraiser.
For property owners’ convenience, the back side of the notice includes the non-ad valorem taxes they likely also will have to pay. These are special assessments and/or service charges which are not based on millage rates or value. Instead, these charges are usually based on acreage and units, for example, for services such as solid waste removal and street lighting.
Property owners are advised to review their TRIM Notices as soon as they receive them, to ensure all the information is correct. “Be aware that there is a deadline for revisions and corrections, as well as a deadline to file a petition” of protest, the news release says.
As always, the staff of the Property Appraiser’s Office is ready to answer any value or exemption questions, the release points out. “Please remember that our office does not set the millage rates, adopt budgets or collect taxes,” the release adds. “If your questions concern any of those issues, please contact the taxing authority listed in the notice. Their meeting dates, locations and times are printed on the back side of the form.”
A property owner also may view his TRIM Notice immediately by visiting the Property Appraiser’s Office website and using the Property Search page to view the parcel detail.