What do I do if I did not get my bill?

All owners of property shall be held to know that taxes are due and payable annually and are charged with the duty of ascertaining the amount of current and delinquent taxes and paying them before April 1 of the year following the year in which the taxes are assessed.  Tax bills are mailed to the owner at the address in the records of the Property Appraiser's office.  If you wish to have your mailing address changed you are required to contact their office to make that change.

What should I do if I receive a bill for property I have sold?

You would first need to determine if the bill you received is for real estate or tangible personal property.  This information will show at the very top edge of your bill.  If it is for real estate then you can forward the bill on to the new owner or return it to our office.  If it is for tangible personal property and you owned the property as of January 1 of the tax year being assessed you are responsible for paying the taxes.  If you did not own the tangible personal property on or before January 1 of the year being assessed, you would need to contact the Property Appraiser's office at (941) 743-1476 at your earliest convenience.

What does it mean if I received a bill that shows "This bill has been requested by an escrow company?"

According to our records an escrow company has requested that your tax bill be sent to them for payment.  This could be your mortgage company or an independent company that handles the payment of taxes for your mortgage company.  What you have received is a statement for your records.

If you do not have an escrow set up with your mortgage company then please contact our office so we may correct our records for future mailings.  In order to pay the taxes yourself use the statement that you received, by remitting the bottom portion with your payment.  Keep the top portion for your records.

What if I received a bill and this property tax is supposed to be paid by my mortgage company?

The bill that you received needs to be forwarded to your mortgage company as soon as possible so you may receive the full discount amount allowed.  You should contact them at their customer service number to acquire a fax number where that bill can be faxed to expedite payment of taxes.  Also let them know that they need to contact us with mailing information for future mailings.

Will I get a paid receipt?

You will not automatically receive a paid receipt when you send us your payment.  If you wish to print your "paid" statement online click here.  If you would like your receipt mailed to you when we receive your payment include a self addressed stamped envelope along with your payment.

Do you have a payment plan for property taxes?

There is not a payment plan for the current years taxes but you may quality for the installment plan for the coming years taxes.  In order to qualify your tax amount must be at least $100.00, you can't be set up on an escrow plan with your mortgage company, and you must complete an installment plan application.  To obtain an application for the installment plan contact our office or click here.

On the installment plan your taxes are paid quarterly in June, September, December, and March.  The first two payments are based on the previous years taxes, as the new tax roll will not be certified until approximately the middle of October.  When the certification process happens this will result in the last two payments making up any shortage or overage of tax paid in the first two payments.

The discount for the first installment is 6% if postmarked by June 30; the second installment is 4.5% if postmarked by September 30; the third installment is 3% if postmarked by December 31; and the fourth installment does not receive a discount.

Do I owe the taxes if I purchases the property part way through the year?

The owner of record is responsible for the entire tax bill.  If there were to be any pro-ration of taxes to be made that would have been handled by your closing agent.  If there is a non-payment of taxes no matter when you purchased the property it could result in a tax certificate being issued on your property.

What form of payment do  you accept for property taxes?

When paying current taxes, our office will accept cash, checks, or Discover.  If paying with Discover there is a fee involved depending on the amount charged.  You can pay in person by the date due or mail in your payment by the postmarked date.  If you would like to pay your current taxes online click here.