Florida TRIM Notices will soon arrive and give taxpayers only 25 days to file an assessment appeal

In a few weeks, Florida taxpayers will receive their property tax assessment notices, which will trigger a short time period in which to file an appeal. Specifically, annual Truth in Millage (TRIM) Notices are mailed throughout Florida in August. The deadline for filing an appeal to challenge an assessment included in this Notice is usually 25 days after the mailing, although this varies by county. With very few exceptions, the deadline cannot be extended. Waiting until you receive a tax bill in November is too late to appeal. Taxpayers interested in seeing their taxes reduced should contact property tax counsel as soon as possible and no later than upon receipt of an unwelcome TRIM Notice.

Personal Property Tax Reform Update

Bills that Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed on July 14 have applied the “finishing touches” (for now), regarding the Eligible Manufacturing Personal Property (EMPP) exemption and the State Essential Services Act (SESA), both of which will take effect next year. Key changes to the original 2012 personal property package include:

• A requirement that taxpayers rescind an EMPP exemption by Dec. 31 of the year the property is no longer eligible for exemption. Previously, there was no requirement after the initial claim for exemption was made.
• The SESA is based on “Acquisition Cost.” The bills change the SESA base from acquisition cost of the current owner to acquisition cost of the first owner. The State Tax Commission (STC) may issue guidelines addressing special exceptions.
• The SESA filing and payment date is moved up from September 15 to August 15. Also, the date the exemption is lost if the SESA is not paid is moved up from November 1 to October 15.

On July 16, the STC issued Bulletins 7, 8 and 9 of 2015 as part of the initial effort to give guidance on this matter. The STC expects to release new forms in September.