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Property Tax Ballot Proposal Frequently Asked Questions
One of the changes to Florida tax law authorized by Amendment 1 is the exemption of $25,000 in value from Tangible Personal
Property accounts. The Department of Revenue has given counties the option of accepting or not accepting a Form DR-405EZ
for the 2008 tax roll. Because of the importance of having an accurate base value for Tangible Personal Property and due
to the lack of necessary information required to complete this form, The Monroe County Property Appraiser’s Office will not
be accepting Form DR-405EZ for 2008.
E. A. Higgs, C.F.A.-CRA
Property Owners - Come in to our office to pre-file for homestead exemption for the 2009 tax year. The deadline for filing for the 2009 tax year is March 1, 2009.
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The Monroe County Property Appraiser is responsible for identifying, locating, and fairly valuing all property, both real and personal, within the county for tax purposes. The market value of real property is based on the current real estate market. Finding the "market" value of your property means discovering the price most people would pay for your property. Determining a fair and equitable value is the only role of this office in the taxing process. The property appraiser does not create the value. People make the value by buying and selling real estate in the market place. The property appraiser has the legal responsibility to study those transactions and appraise your property accordingly.
The property appraiser also:
*tracks ownership changes
*maintains maps of parcel boundaries
*keeps descriptions of buildings and property characteristics up to date
*accepts and approves applications from individuals eligible for exemptions and other forms of property tax relief
*analyzes trends in sales prices, construction costs, and rents to best estimate the value of assessable property.
A Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (C.A.M.A.) system is used by experienced appraisers to ensure that fair values are set for all Monroe County property owners. Appraisers are also assisted by our Geographic Information System (GIS) which helps us to provide detailed and up-to-date property ownership maps for field appraisers. The GIS is frequently updated to reflect changes to the land in Monroe County. This information is also used to analyze property data and gives appraisers yet another tool for comparing similar properties.