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. The strongest petitions include 3-5 comparable sales showing your assessed value is too high. AppealMyTax pulls your real assessment from county records, compares it to similar homes in your ZIP, and generates a pre-filled, sign-ready DR-486 petition for a $49 flat fee.

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.

AppealMyTax charges a $49 flat fee for a complete, pre-filled DR-486 petition kit with comparable sales, no contingency fee, no percentage of your savings, no recurring charge, and a 30-day refund. The county itself charges a separate $15 filing fee per parcel paid to the Clerk of Court. You keep 100% of whatever you save.