09/01/2026
If you own a property in Sarasota County, that DO NOT PAY envelope hit your mailbox last week. Don’t pay it - but don’t file it away either.
That’s your TRIM notice: what the county thinks your property is worth, and what your taxes will be if the proposed budgets pass. Your real bill comes in November. This is your only chance to challenge the numbers before then, and it closes on September 11th.
4 things to check:
MARKET VALUE - the number shown is what they think your home was worth on January 1, 2026, not today. Challenging it takes closed sales from late 2025, not current listings.
THE 2.7% CAP — If you’re homesteaded, your assessed value can’t rise more than 2.7% this year. For every $100,000 of last year’s assessed value, this year can go up about $2,700. No more. If yours jumped higher, ask why.
YOUR EXEMPTIONS — Make sure they’re listed. And check whether you’re missing one: widow or widower, legally blind, total and permanent disability, veteran with a service-connected disability, or 65+ with limited income. Nobody applies for you. Next year’s deadline is March 1.
CALL FIRST — Property Appraiser, 941-861-8200. Real errors often get fixed in one call. If the deadline is close, file at SarasotaClerk.com anyway to protect yourself. $15.
House-hunting? The tax figure on a listing is the seller’s. Their exemptions end at closing and the property resets to market value the January after you buy. On a long-held home that’s thousands a year. Budget for your number, not theirs.
Questions? Send me a message.
Ingrid Pope, Broker/Owner — Zota Properties
941-681-8377 · [email protected]
