Florida TRIM Notice 2026: Don't Overpay Property Taxes

TRIM stands for Truth in Millage. It's the official notice your county Property Appraiser mails every August showing your property's assessed value, the proposed millage (tax) rates from each taxing authority, and an estimate of your property tax bill. It is NOT a bill, it's your one annual chance to see your assessment and contest it before taxes are finalized. Florida Statute §200.069 requires it to be mailed by late August.

After your TRIM notice arrives in August, you file Form DR-486 with your county's Value Adjustment Board (VAB) within 25 days of the TRIM mailing date. AppealMyTax checks your public assessment record and available comparable-property data before offering a $49 pre-filled petition kit.

The Value Adjustment Board (VAB) is an independent county body that hears property tax disputes between homeowners and the Property Appraiser. After you file Form DR-486, a special magistrate reviews your evidence, usually at a hearing in October or November, and can order your assessed value reduced. The VAB is separate from the Property Appraiser's office, so you get an impartial review.

You have 25 days from the date your county mails its TRIM notice, per Florida Statute §194.011(3)(d). Most 2026 TRIM notices mail between August 14 and 24, putting petition deadlines between roughly September 8 and 18, 2026. The deadline is strict: your petition must be RECEIVED by the Clerk of Court by the deadline, postmark date does not count. Miss it and you wait a full year.

For supported addresses with sufficient evidence, AppealMyTax charges a $49 flat fee for a pre-filled DR-486 petition kit, with no contingency fee, no percentage of your savings, no recurring charge, and a 30-day refund. The county itself charges a separate filing fee paid to the Clerk of Court, set by your county board at up to $50 per parcel.