Broward county property taxes: what you owe, why, and how to fight it

Last updated 2026-07-10

How does Broward County calculate your property tax bill?

Your bill is two numbers multiplied together: the taxable value the Broward County Property Appraiser assigns to your home, and the millage rate each taxing authority adopts in the fall. Those numbers come from separate offices. That split matters the moment you want to fight your bill.

The Property Appraiser (currently Marty Kiar's office) sets just value, assessed value, and taxable value for every parcel in the county ^[1]. Just value is the appraiser's opinion of what your property would sell for on January 1 of the tax year. Assessed value can be lower, because Florida's Save Our Homes cap limits how fast a homesteaded property's assessed value can grow. Taxable value is assessed value minus your exemptions.

Millage rates are set by a dozen or more separate taxing bodies: Broward County itself, the School Board, your municipality, the South Florida Water Management District, and several smaller special districts. One mill equals $1 of tax per $1,000 of taxable value. In tax year 2024, combined millage for a typical unincorporated Broward property ran between roughly 18 and 22 mills depending on location, putting the effective rate at about 1.07% of market value ^[2].

So a home with a $400,000 just value, a $300,000 assessed value after the Save Our Homes cap, minus a $50,000 homestead exemption, produces a $250,000 taxable value. At 20 mills, that's a $5,000 annual bill. The arithmetic is simple. The fight is always over that first number: just value.

When do Broward property tax notices go out, and when are taxes due?

The Broward County Property Appraiser mails TRIM (Truth in Millage) notices each August. These are not tax bills. They are your proposed assessment and estimated tax, and they are your first chance to dispute the numbers before millage rates are finalized ^[1].

Actual tax bills go out November 1 from the Broward County Tax Collector's office. The discount schedule is one of the most useful things to know:

Payment Month	Discount
November	4%
December	3%
January	2%
February	1%
March 31	No discount, last day to avoid delinquency

Pay in November and you save 4% on the total bill. On a $5,000 bill, that's $200 for writing a check a few weeks early ^[3]. After March 31, taxes become delinquent and interest accrues at 18% per year until a tax certificate is sold at public auction.

For online payment options and how the tax collector's portal works, see our guide on online tax payment for property.

The appeal deadline is separate from the payment deadline. You can pay under protest and still keep an active appeal. Paying does not waive your right to a refund if you win.

What exemptions can lower your Broward County property tax bill?

Florida has one of the most generous exemption menus in the country. Broward homeowners who skip any of these are leaving real money on the table.

Homestead Exemption. If you owned and occupied the property as your primary residence on January 1 of the tax year, the first $25,000 of assessed value is exempt from all taxes, and another $25,000 is exempt from non-school taxes (on value between $50,000 and $75,000). That second $25,000 saves you roughly $350 to $600 a year on top of the base exemption ^[4]. Deadline to file is March 1.

Save Our Homes Cap (SOH). Once you have homestead, your assessed value can rise no more than 3% per year or the CPI rate, whichever is lower. When market values jump 15% in a year, SOH does the heavy lifting. Longtime homeowners in popular Broward zip codes often have assessed values 40-60% below current market value because of this cap.

Portability. When you sell and buy a new Florida homestead, you can transfer up to $500,000 of your accumulated SOH benefit to the new property. File Form DR-501T with the Broward Property Appraiser within three years of the sale ^[4].

Senior Exemptions. Florida Statute 196.075 lets counties and municipalities grant an additional exemption of up to $50,000 for residents 65 and older with household income below a threshold the legislature adjusts periodically (for 2024, roughly $35,167) ^[5]. Broward County and several municipalities offer this. Check with Kiar's office for the current income cap.

Disability Exemptions. Total and permanent disability qualifies for full exemption from property taxes on the homestead under Florida Statute 196.101. Veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 10% or more get an additional exemption. Totally and permanently disabled veterans get full exemption ^[5].

Widow/Widower Exemption. $500 off taxable value. Small, but it costs nothing to claim.

Agricultural Classification. If part of your land is actively used for bona fide agricultural purposes, you can apply for a classification that values the agricultural portion at its use value rather than market value. On large lots, this is significant.

All exemption applications go to the Broward County Property Appraiser's office, most with a March 1 deadline for the current tax year ^[1].

What is the Save Our Homes cap and how does it affect your assessment?

Save Our Homes (Article VII, Section 4 of the Florida Constitution) is the reason your neighbor who bought in 2005 pays far less than you do after buying in 2022, even in identical houses ^[6]. Once your homestead exemption is in place, annual increases in assessed value are capped at 3% or the Consumer Price Index change, whichever is less.

For 2024, the CPI-based cap was 3.0%, so assessed values could rise a maximum of 3% ^[4]. In a county where median sale prices climbed roughly 8-12% in some recent years, that cap compounds fast into a large benefit for established homeowners.

New buyers lose the cap entirely on purchase. The property reassesses to full just value the year after purchase. That's why buyers get blindsided by the first full-year tax bill after closing. If your lender's escrow estimate leaned on the previous owner's low assessed value, expect an escrow shortage notice.

The cap does not apply to non-homestead properties, commercial properties, or rentals. Those reassess to market value every year, which is exactly why landlords in Broward have watched bills climb steeply through recent appreciation cycles.

How do you appeal your Broward County property tax assessment?

The appeal goes to the Broward County Value Adjustment Board (VAB). This is the formal, independent body created by Florida Statute Chapter 194 to hear taxpayer challenges to the Property Appraiser's assessments ^[7].

Here is the process, step by step.

Step 1: Review your TRIM notice carefully. It arrives in August and lists your proposed just value, assessed value, taxable value, and estimated taxes from each taxing body. The notice also states the deadline to petition the VAB, typically 25 days from the mailing date. In most recent years that deadline falls around September 18, though the exact date is on the notice itself ^[1].

Step 2: File Form DR-486. This is the Florida petition to the VAB. File it online through the Broward VAB portal, by mail, or in person at the VAB office. The filing fee is $15 for a residential parcel ^[7].

Step 3: Gather your evidence. The Property Appraiser must prove your just value by a preponderance of the evidence. As a practical matter, you need to rebut their presumption of correctness. The best evidence is recent comparable sales of similar homes (same neighborhood, similar size and age, sold in the six months before January 1 of the tax year). Pull them from the Broward County Property Appraiser's own website, Zillow, or the MLS. Three to five comps showing your home is worth less than the assessed value make a solid case.

Step 4: Request the Property Appraiser's evidence. Under Florida law, you are entitled to see the evidence the Property Appraiser plans to use at your hearing. Request it at least 15 days before your scheduled hearing ^[7].

Step 5: Attend your VAB hearing. Hearings run before a special magistrate, either an appraiser or an attorney depending on your petition type. Be on time. Present your comps calmly. Point to specific data. Ask the magistrate to note discrepancies between the appraiser's methodology and actual market data.

Step 6: Get the decision. Win, and a refund (or credit toward next year's bill) follows automatically. Lose, and if you believe the magistrate made a legal error, you can appeal to circuit court, though that step usually warrants an attorney.

For a ready-to-use evidence package and step-by-step filing guide, the TaxFightBack DIY appeal kit walks through the Broward VAB process specifically, so you keep 100% of any savings instead of splitting with a contingency firm.

For comparison, our breakdowns for neighboring miami dade property taxes and la county property tax show how Broward's VAB process stacks up against other major counties.

What evidence actually wins a Broward VAB hearing?

Comparable sales are the core of any winning case. Broward's VAB special magistrates are trained appraisers or attorneys who spot cherry-picked comps in seconds. Here's what separates the cases that win from the ones that don't.

Good comps share these traits with your property: within roughly half a mile (or the same subdivision), sold within six months before the January 1 assessment date, similar square footage (within 15-20%), similar age and condition, and similar lot size. A comp three miles away in a different school zone does nothing for you.

Adjust for differences. If your comp sold for $350,000 but has a pool your home lacks, say so, note that a pool adds roughly $15,000 to $30,000 in value in South Florida, and adjust down. Magistrates respect intellectual honesty. Pretending two dissimilar homes are identical wrecks your credibility.

Photos of condition work well when your home has deferred maintenance, storm damage, or other issues the appraiser's model can't see. The Property Appraiser uses a computer-assisted mass appraisal (CAMA) system that values properties by neighborhood, not by walking through your house. If the HVAC is original from 1988 or the roof needs replacing, document it.

A licensed appraisal report is the gold standard. It costs $300 to $600 in most of Broward County, and if the assessed value is high enough, it earns its keep. Plenty of homeowners still win with well-documented comps and a clear presentation.

The Property Appraiser's office publishes assessment methodology documents and the data fields used in its CAMA model. Check whether your home's data card (at bcpa.net) has the right square footage, bedroom count, and quality grade. Errors on the data card are easy wins.

For a deeper look at how comparable sales work in evidence packages, our evidence-and-comps hub has templates and walkthrough guides.

What are the current Broward County millage rates?

Millage rates in Broward vary by city because you pay the county rate and your municipality's rate on top. The table below shows the major taxing bodies for the unincorporated county and a few large cities for the 2023 tax year (the most recently certified rates as of this writing) ^[3].

Taxing Authority	2023 Millage Rate
Broward County General Fund	5.6690
Broward County Debt Service	0.1919
School Board Operating	4.2110
School Board Capital Outlay	1.5000
South FL Water Management District	0.1944
City of Fort Lauderdale	4.3119
City of Hollywood	6.0686
City of Pembroke Pines	3.7278
City of Coral Springs	4.9756

Those are component rates. Your bill adds the applicable city rate to the county and school rates plus smaller district levies. A Fort Lauderdale homeowner faces a combined rate around 16-17 mills from all sources. Hollywood runs higher because of its city rate. These numbers shift every fall after each commission's budget hearing.

The Florida Constitution requires Truth in Millage (TRIM) notifications precisely because the process is complicated. If a taxing authority wants to raise its millage above the rollback rate (the rate that would produce the same revenue as last year), it must advertise the increase and hold a public hearing ^[6]. You can show up and object before the rates are set.

For comparison, nyc property tax and la county property tax show how Florida's millage structure differs from states with fixed rates or levy caps.

How does Broward property tax compare to other major Florida and U.S. counties?

Florida has no state income tax, and the state funds a large share of public services through property and sales taxes. That leaves Florida's property tax rates moderate by national standards but not low.

Broward's effective rate of roughly 1.07% of market value sits in the middle of the Florida pack. Miami-Dade runs slightly higher in some areas because of city-level millage variation. Palm Beach County is roughly comparable. Compare that to hennepin-county-property-tax in Minnesota (effective rate around 1.1-1.2%) or santa clara property tax in California, where Proposition 13 caps hold effective rates below 0.8% on most long-held homes.

Florida ranks about 26th nationally in average property taxes paid per household, based on the Tax Foundation's analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data ^[8]. The median property tax paid in Broward County was roughly $3,800 a year in recent census estimates, though that figure is dragged down by the many longtime homeowners with large SOH savings.

New buyers in Broward carry heavier effective burdens because they lose the SOH cap. A home appraised at $550,000 in 2024, no SOH and no exemptions except the base homestead, produces a taxable value of $525,000 and a bill of roughly $9,000 to $11,000 depending on the city. That is well above what the county median suggests.

What happens if you don't pay Broward property taxes?

Miss the March 31 deadline and Florida's delinquency process starts, faster than most homeowners expect.

By April 1, unpaid taxes are declared delinquent. The Broward County Tax Collector advertises delinquent properties and then holds an online tax certificate sale, usually in May ^[3]. Third-party investors bid on your tax debt. The winning bidder pays your tax bill and holds a certificate that earns interest at the bid rate, anywhere from 0% to 18% per year under Florida Statute 197.172 ^[9].

The certificate is not an immediate loss of your home. You have up to two years to redeem it by paying the original tax plus the investor's interest. If you do not redeem within two years, the certificate holder can apply for a tax deed, which starts a process that can end in a forced sale of your property.

Redemption means paying the Tax Collector directly. The longer you wait, the more interest stacks up. If money is tight, call the Tax Collector's office early. Florida has no formal hardship deferral program for most homeowners, though seniors may qualify for a tax deferral under Florida Statute 197.252 if their income is below a statutory threshold ^[5].

Do not confuse the certificate sale deadline with the appeal deadline. Paying or not paying your taxes has no effect on your right to appeal assessed value to the VAB.

How do you apply for a homestead exemption in Broward County?

The homestead exemption application goes to the Broward County Property Appraiser's office. The deadline is March 1 of the tax year you want the exemption to apply. Miss March 1 and you wait a full year.

Apply online at bcpa.net, by mail, or in person at the main office in Fort Lauderdale or any branch location ^[1]. What you need:

• Florida driver's license or ID showing the property address
• Florida vehicle registration showing the property address (or other proof of residency)
• Social Security numbers for all owners and their spouses
• The property's folio number (on your deed or the BCPA website)

If you closed in December or early January, you may still be in time for that year's exemption. File as soon as possible after closing.

For portability, file Form DR-501T in the same window. You have three years from the date you abandoned your previous homestead to transfer your SOH benefit. Plenty of people miss this because their agent never mentions it, and the transfer can be worth tens of thousands of dollars on the new property's assessed value in a high-appreciation market.

The appraiser's office verifies your application and sends a confirmation. If approved, the exemption shows on your TRIM notice the following August.

What should you do first if your Broward assessment looks wrong?

Pull your property's data card from the Broward County Property Appraiser's website (bcpa.net). Every parcel record is public and shows square footage, bedroom and bathroom count, year built, quality grade, and the sales the appraiser used to value your neighborhood ^[1].

Check the facts first. Wrong square footage on the data card is common after additions or renovations. A quality grade set too high relative to actual condition is common in older neighborhoods. If the data card is wrong, start with an informal correction request to the appraiser's office before filing a VAB petition. Simple factual corrections can lower your value without a hearing.

Next, run your own comps. The BCPA website lets you search by subdivision and sale date. Pull sales of homes similar to yours that closed in the six months before January 1 of the tax year. If three or more of those sales support a lower value than your assessment, you have a case.

If the data card is accurate but the value still runs high against market evidence, file a VAB petition. The $15 filing fee is worth spending even if you're not sure you'll win. You can withdraw with no penalty if you later decide not to proceed.

For a systematic approach, the TaxFightBack DIY appeal kit includes a Broward-specific comparable-sales worksheet and the exact form language that lands with Florida VAB magistrates. You keep every dollar you save.

For how other counties handle informal correction before formal appeal, the collin county property tax and williamson county property tax guides show similar first-step approaches in Texas counties.

Are there special rules for commercial property in Broward County?

Commercial property in Broward County gets no Save Our Homes protection. Every year, assessed value can jump to full just value. In a rising market, that means annual tax increases that compound fast.

Commercial owners who appeal face a higher evidentiary bar in some respects. Income-approach valuation (using the property's rent roll and cap rates) is often as persuasive as sales comps for income-producing property. A professionally prepared income approach built on current market cap rates and actual collected rents can beat sale comparables, especially for properties that rarely transact.

Florida Statute 193.011 lists the eight factors the appraiser must weigh in setting just value, including the present cash value of future benefits, the highest and best use of the property, and recent sales of comparable properties ^[6]. Commercial owners who cite that statute directly in a VAB petition signal to the magistrate that they know what they're doing.

The tangible personal property tax is a separate bill on business equipment, inventory, and furniture. It comes from the same Property Appraiser's office but on a different return schedule. Businesses must file a DR-405 return by April 1 each year ^[1].

For a broader look at commercial property tax strategy in high-value counties, see our guides on detroit property taxes and san mateo county property tax.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Broward County property tax appeal deadline?

The Value Adjustment Board petition deadline is 25 days from the mailing date of the TRIM notice, which usually arrives in mid-August. That puts the typical deadline around September 18, though the exact date is printed on your TRIM notice. File Form DR-486 online at the Broward VAB portal, by mail, or in person. The filing fee is $15 for a residential property.

What is the Broward County property tax rate for 2024?

There is no single rate because your bill sums a dozen or more taxing authority millage rates. For a typical homeowner in unincorporated Broward, combined millage from county, school, water management, and special districts runs roughly 12 to 15 mills. Add your municipality's rate (about 3.5 to 6.5 mills) and the total is typically 16 to 22 mills. The effective rate on market value is about 1.07%.

How do I find my Broward County property tax bill online?

Go to the Broward County Tax Collector's website (broward.county-taxes.com) and search by folio number, owner name, or property address. Bills are available online starting November 1 each year. You can also pay directly through that portal. The Property Appraiser's website (bcpa.net) is a different office and shows your assessment, not your tax bill.

What is the homestead exemption deadline in Broward County?

March 1 of the tax year you want the exemption to apply. File at bcpa.net or in person at the Property Appraiser's office. You'll need a Florida driver's license, vehicle registration, and Social Security number showing the property address. Miss March 1 and you wait until the next tax year. The exemption saves most homeowners at least $750 a year and activates the Save Our Homes cap.

How does the Save Our Homes cap work in Broward County?

Once you have a homestead exemption, your assessed value can rise no more than 3% or the CPI rate (whichever is lower) per year, regardless of how much market value climbs. New buyers lose this protection at purchase and reassess to full market value the year after closing. Longtime owners in appreciating neighborhoods often have assessed values 30-50% below current market value because of the compounding cap.

Can I transfer my Save Our Homes benefit when I move to a new home in Florida?

Yes. Florida's portability provision lets you transfer up to $500,000 of your accumulated SOH benefit to a new Florida homestead. File Form DR-501T with the Broward County Property Appraiser within three years of the date you abandoned your previous homestead. Many homeowners miss this because it requires a separate filing from the standard homestead application.

What happens at a Broward VAB hearing?

A special magistrate (an independent licensed appraiser or attorney, not an appraiser's employee) hears both sides. You present your evidence first: comparable sales, photos of condition, any data-card errors. The Property Appraiser's representative responds. The magistrate issues a recommended decision, which the VAB formally adopts unless there's an obvious legal error. Hearings are informal and usually last 20 to 40 minutes.

Do I have to pay my property taxes while the appeal is pending?

Yes. Paying your bill does not waive your right to appeal, and not paying triggers delinquency regardless of a pending VAB petition. Pay by March 31 to avoid delinquency. If you win your appeal after paying, the difference is refunded or credited to the following year's bill, depending on timing.

What is the senior exemption for Broward County property taxes?

Florida Statute 196.075 allows an additional exemption of up to $50,000 for homeowners age 65 or older whose household income is below a statutory threshold (approximately $35,167 for 2024, though this adjusts annually). Broward County and many municipalities within it offer this exemption. File with the Property Appraiser's office by March 1 and provide income documentation.

How does Broward County compare to Miami-Dade for property taxes?

The two counties are similar in structure. Both use Florida's TRIM process and VAB appeal system. Miami-Dade's combined millage rates vary by municipality and are comparable to Broward in many areas. The key differences are city-level rates: Miami and Miami Beach carry higher municipal millage than most Broward cities. See our full breakdown in the Miami-Dade property taxes guide.

What if there is an error in my Broward property record?

Pull your data card at bcpa.net and review the square footage, bedroom count, year built, and quality grade. If any field is wrong, contact the Property Appraiser's office directly with supporting documentation (permit records, floor plans, photos). Factual corrections can happen informally without a VAB petition and sometimes resolve the overvaluation without a hearing.

What is the tangible personal property tax in Broward County?

Businesses operating in Broward must file a tangible personal property return (Form DR-405) by April 1 each year reporting the value of business equipment, furniture, and inventory. The Property Appraiser assesses this separately from real property. The first $25,000 of tangible personal property value is exempt. Failing to file triggers a penalty of 25% of the assessed tax.

Can I appeal my Broward County taxes without hiring a tax agent?

Yes. There is no requirement to use a licensed tax agent or attorney for a residential VAB petition. You file Form DR-486 yourself, present your own comparable sales evidence, and attend the hearing. Many homeowners do this successfully every year. A tax agent typically charges 20-40% of the first year's savings as a contingency fee, which you keep if you handle it yourself.

Sources

1. Broward County Property Appraiser (BCPA), bcpa.net: The Broward County Property Appraiser is responsible for determining just value, assessed value, taxable value, exemptions, and classification for all parcels; the March 1 deadline applies to most exemptions.
2. Florida Department of Revenue, Property Tax Oversight, Broward County Tax Roll Data: Broward County's effective property tax rate is approximately 1.07% of market value based on certified tax roll data.
3. Broward County Tax Collector, broward.county-taxes.com: Property tax bills are mailed November 1; November payment receives 4% discount; taxes become delinquent April 1; tax certificate sale typically held in May.
4. Florida Department of Revenue, Property Tax Taxpayers and Exemptions page: Homestead exemption provides up to two $25,000 exemptions; portability requires Form DR-501T within three years; 2024 SOH cap was 3.0%.
5. Florida Statutes, Chapter 196 (Exemptions): Florida Statute 196.075 authorizes additional senior exemption up to $50,000; FS 196.101 provides full exemption for totally and permanently disabled persons; FS 197.252 authorizes senior tax deferral.
6. Florida Constitution, Article VII, Section 4; Florida Statute 193.011: Article VII Section 4 establishes the Save Our Homes cap; FS 193.011 lists the eight factors the property appraiser must consider in determining just value.
7. Florida Statutes, Chapter 194 (Administrative and Judicial Review of Property Taxes): Chapter 194 establishes the Value Adjustment Board, petition procedures, $15 filing fee for residential parcels, 25-day petition window from TRIM mailing, and evidence-exchange rules.
8. Tax Foundation, State and Local Property Tax Collections data: Florida ranks approximately 26th nationally in average annual property taxes paid per household.
9. Florida Statutes, Section 197.172 (Interest Rate on Tax Certificates): Delinquent tax certificates earn interest at rates bid at auction, up to a maximum of 18% per year.
10. Florida Department of Revenue, Value Adjustment Board (DR-486 petition) information: Form DR-486 is the official petition to the Value Adjustment Board; petitioners may request the Property Appraiser's evidence at least 15 days before the scheduled hearing.