Broward County property tax is calculated by multiplying your property’s taxable value by the combined millage rate set by the local authorities that tax your parcel. For fiscal year 2026, that combined rate averages roughly 19.8 mills across the county, or about $19.80 per $1,000 of taxable value. What you actually owe depends on your assessed value, the exemptions you qualify for, and which city and special districts you sit inside.
How the Bill Is Built
Every January 1, the Broward County Property Appraiser sets each parcel’s “just value,” which is Florida’s term for fair market value. Assessed value is either that just value or a lower figure capped by the constitution.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 192 – Taxation: General Provisions Subtract your exemptions from the assessed value and you get the taxable value. That is the number the millage rate is applied to.
A mill is $1 of tax per $1,000 of taxable value.2Florida Department of Revenue. A Florida Homeowner’s Guide: Millage Your bill stacks the millage rates from every authority that taxes the property: the Broward County Commission, the School Board, your city, the South Florida Water Management District, and any special districts serving your address.
Your bill also carries non-ad valorem assessments. These are flat charges for services like solid waste, stormwater, or fire rescue, and they do not scale with your property’s value.3Florida Legislature. Florida Code 191.009 – Taxes; Non-Ad Valorem Assessments; Impact Fees and User Charges They appear as a separate line so you can see exactly what each service costs.
Exemptions That Reduce What You Owe
Homestead Exemption
The homestead exemption is the main lever for most Broward homeowners. It removes up to $50,000 of assessed value from taxation on your primary residence. The first $25,000 applies to every taxing authority; a second $25,000 applies to assessed value between $50,000 and $75,000 and does not affect school district levies.4The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 196.031 – Exemption of Homesteads At a combined rate near 20 mills, the full exemption saves roughly $900 to $1,000 a year.
You apply through the Broward County Property Appraiser with proof of Florida residency, including a Florida driver’s license or ID, plus a Florida voter registration or a utility bill in your name at the property.5Broward County Property Appraiser. File for a Homestead Exemption The deadline is March 1.
Senior Exemption
Homeowners 65 and older with limited household income can claim an additional exemption of up to $50,000 on top of the standard homestead exemption, provided the local government has adopted the ordinance authorizing it.6The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 196.075 – Additional Homestead Exemption for Persons 65 and Older For 2026, the household income limit is $38,686.7Florida Department of Revenue. Two Additional Homestead Exemptions for Persons 65 and Older
Disabled Veteran Exemption
Veterans with a total and permanent service-connected disability who use the property as a homestead are exempt from all property taxes on that home. You need a VA letter certifying the disability and must be a permanent Florida resident as of January 1 of the tax year.8The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 196.081 – Exemption for Certain Permanently and Totally Disabled Veterans and for Surviving Spouses of Veterans
Widow, Widower, and Disability Exemption
Widows, widowers, legally blind residents, and people who are totally and permanently disabled can claim a $5,000 reduction in assessed value.9The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 196.202 – Property of Widows, Widowers, Blind Persons, and Persons Totally and Permanently Disabled Florida residency as of January 1 is required, and the widow or widower exemption requires you to still be unmarried.
The Save Our Homes Cap
Once you have a homestead exemption, Florida’s Save Our Homes provision caps annual growth in your assessed value at 3% or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower.10The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 193.155 – Homestead Assessments In a market that has appreciated as fast as Broward’s, that cap opens a wide gap between assessed value and just value, and the gap can be worth thousands a year.
Portability lets you carry that benefit with you. When you sell your Florida homestead and buy another one, you can transfer up to $500,000 of the difference between your old home’s just value and its assessed value to the new property. You have to establish the new homestead within three years of leaving the old one and file Form DR-501T with the property appraiser by March 1 of the year you claim it.11Florida Department of Revenue. Can I Keep My Homestead Exemption If I Move Miss March 1 and the portability benefit is gone for that tax year.
Deadlines and Early-Payment Discounts
Broward County mails tax bills in late October or early November. Paying early earns a discount that shrinks each month: 4% in November, 3% in December, 2% in January, 1% in February, and the full amount in March.12The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 197.162 – Tax Discount Payment Periods On a $6,000 bill, November payment saves $240.
You can pay online through the Broward County Tax Collector’s portal by e-check or credit card, by mail to the Fort Lauderdale processing address, or through drop boxes at authorized county locations.13Broward County Tax Collector. Home – Broward County Tax Collector Bills are searchable by folio number or street address. If you mail a check, the postmark date controls the discount, so cutting it close at the end of a month is a bad idea.
If your mortgage servicer pays your taxes from escrow, the servicer decides when the check goes out. Confirm they pay early enough to capture the November discount. Not all of them do, and the difference lands on you.
Quarterly Installment Plan
Any bill over $100 qualifies for a quarterly installment plan. Apply with the tax collector by April 30, and once you’re in you stay enrolled each year unless you opt out. The four payments carry their own discounts:14Florida Senate. Florida Code 197.222 – Prepayment of Estimated Tax by Installment Method
- First payment, due June 30: 6% discount on that installment
- Second payment, due September 30: 4.5% discount
- Third payment, due December 31: 3% discount
- Fourth payment, due March 31: no discount
Installments are calculated from the prior year’s taxes, with the third and fourth payments adjusted once the current year’s tax is set. Missing the June 30 first payment removes you from the plan for the year.
What Happens If You Don’t Pay
Property taxes turn delinquent on April 1 of the following year. Interest then accrues at 18% annually, with a minimum charge of 3% on any delinquent balance paid before a tax certificate sells.15The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 197.172 – Interest Rates on Delinquent Taxes
If you’re still unpaid by June, the tax collector auctions a tax certificate on your property. A certificate is not a sale of your home. It’s a financial instrument giving the buyer the right to collect your unpaid taxes plus interest, and bidders compete by offering the lowest interest rate they’ll accept below the 18% ceiling. If no one bids, the county takes the certificate at 18%.16FindLaw. Florida Code 197.432 – Sale of Tax Certificates for Unpaid Taxes You can still redeem by paying what’s owed with interest and fees, but the meter runs.
Two years after the certificate is issued, the holder can apply for a tax deed. That starts the process that ends with a public auction of your property.17Florida Senate. Florida Code 197.502 – Tax Deed Applications Any surplus over what’s owed goes back to the former owner, but by the time it gets to a tax deed sale, the home is gone.
Appealing Your Assessment
Each August, the Property Appraiser mails a Truth in Millage (TRIM) notice showing your assessed value and estimated taxes. If you think the number is too high, you have 25 days from the mailing date to file a petition with Broward County’s Value Adjustment Board.18Florida Senate. Florida Code 194.011 – Assessment Notice; Objections to Assessments
The Broward filing fee is $25 per parcel as of March 2026.19Broward County. Value Adjustment Board State law caps the fee at $50 per parcel and waives it for petitions on denied homestead exemptions and for applicants receiving public assistance.20The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 194.013 – Filing Fees for Petitions; Disposition; Waiver
A special magistrate hears the case, and both you and the Property Appraiser’s office present evidence.21Florida Senate. Florida Code 194.035 – Special Magistrates; Powers and Duties The strongest evidence in valuation disputes is usually recent sales of comparable properties in your neighborhood; documentation of physical defects or other conditions affecting value can also support a reduction. The magistrate recommends a decision and the board votes on it. The 25-day filing window is unforgiving, so if you plan to challenge, open the TRIM notice the day it arrives.
Deducting Broward Property Taxes on Your Federal Return
Property taxes you pay in Broward are deductible on your federal return if you itemize, but the state and local tax (SALT) cap limits how much counts. For 2026, the SALT deduction is capped at $40,400 for most filers and $20,200 for married filing separately.22Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 164 – Taxes That ceiling covers your state income or sales taxes plus your property taxes combined. Above $500,000 in modified adjusted gross income, the $40,400 cap phases down. Any SALT payments beyond the cap won’t produce a federal tax benefit.