Broward Property Tax: Rates, Exemptions & Appeal (2026)

The 2026 Broward deadline to appeal a residential value assessment is September 18, 2026. File with the Broward County Value Adjustment Board (VAB) online through the VAB petition portal or by mail/in person at 115 S. Andrews Ave., Room 120, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301; do not send an initial petition by ordinary email unless VAB staff specifically instructs you to.

How assessments work in Broward

Broward property tax starts with a January 1 snapshot. For the 2026 tax roll, the Property Appraiser values your home and exemption status as of January 1, 2026, using qualified sales and market data for similar properties from January 2, 2025 through January 1, 2026. In other words, a sale or market drop after January 1, 2026 is usually a 2027 issue, not a 2026 appeal issue.

The Property Appraiser is Marty Kiar, Broward County Property Appraiser. His office sets the just/market value, assessed value, taxable value, and exemptions. It does not set tax rates. Rates are set later by the County Commission, School Board, cities, hospital districts, water management districts, and other taxing authorities.

Broward’s 2026 tax roll calendar says TRIM/proposed tax notices are mailed in August, with the VAB review and filing period running August 24 through September 18, 2026. Florida’s valuation-petition rule is that the petition is due by the 25th day after the Property Appraiser mails the TRIM notice; Broward’s posted 2026 value-petition deadline is September 18, 2026.

For homesteaded homes, do not confuse “just value” with “taxable value.” Homestead normally gives up to a $50,000 exemption, and Save Our Homes limits annual assessed-value increases to the lesser of 3% or CPI. Broward’s 2026 SOH cap is posted as 2.7%. If your just value is still far above your SOH assessed value, winning a lower just value may not lower this year’s bill unless the reduction reaches the capped assessed/taxable value.

Whether you should appeal

Appeal if your TRIM market value is higher than what a buyer would reasonably have paid for your property on January 1, 2026. Good Broward evidence includes comparable sales from your subdivision or condo building, closing dates close to January 1, condition issues not reflected on the property record, incorrect living area, incorrect number of units, unrepaired storm/water damage, view/floor differences in condos, or a sale of your own property that the appraiser treated incorrectly.

Do not use the VAB to argue that taxes or millage rates are too high. The VAB can decide value, exemptions, classifications, portability/Save Our Homes transfer issues, and similar assessment questions. Rate complaints go to the public budget hearings shown on the TRIM notice.

Broward does publish useful outcome data through the state. In the Florida Department of Revenue’s 2025 County Profile for Broward, 2024 VAB results show 24,311 parcels filed, 6,069 heard, 1,484 approved, and a $541,230,530 reduction in taxable value. That is about 24.5% approved among heard parcels and about 6.1% of all filed parcels. The state profile does not publish a homeowner-only success rate or a median reduction, so do not treat the average reduction as typical for a house.

A realistic savings example: use the latest posted BCPA combined millage for Fort Lauderdale, 18.5714 mills for 2025. If a Fort Lauderdale homeowner proves the taxable/assessed value should be reduced by $30,000, the ad valorem savings are roughly $30,000 × 18.5714 ÷ 1,000 = $557.14. Non-ad valorem assessments usually do not change. If the same home is deeply protected by SOH and only the just value falls from $650,000 to $620,000 while the taxable value stays $410,000, the current-year savings could be $0.

Step-by-step how to file

1. Read the TRIM notice first. Circle the 2026 market value, assessed/SOH value, taxable value, exemptions, millage code, and VAB deadline. For a value case, your target is the January 1, 2026 market value.

2. Contact the Property Appraiser before filing if time allows. The state DR-486 form says you have the right to an informal conference, and it does not change the filing deadline. Broward’s Property Appraiser encourages homeowners to meet with a Deputy Property Appraiser to review how the value was calculated.

3. Use the correct form. The standard form is DR-486, Petition to the Value Adjustment Board – Request for Hearing. Use DR-486PORT for transfer of homestead assessment difference/portability, and DR-486DP for tax deferral or penalties. If an agent files, use written authorization or power of attorney where required.

4. File with the VAB, not the Property Appraiser. Online value petitions go through the Broward VAB/Axia petition portal. Paper petitions may be mailed or delivered to Broward County Value Adjustment Board, 115 S. Andrews Ave., Room 120, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. Multiple/contiguous parcel petitions, exemption petitions, classification petitions, and portability petitions may need to be filed in the VAB office rather than through the standard online wizard.

5. Email is for follow-up, not a safe initial filing method. The VAB lists vab@broward.org for requests such as legal review after a magistrate worksheet and for questions. The official filing page points taxpayers to online filing or filing at the VAB office address. If you are on deadline, use the portal or deliver/mail with proof of receipt.

6. Pay the fee. Broward’s VAB approved a $25 filing fee per petition effective March 1, 2026. The county fee schedule also lists $25 per folio for real/personal property assessment review, $5 for additional contiguous folios in qualifying joint situations, and $15 for late exemption requests. State law caps ordinary VAB filing fees at $50 and waives certain fees, including homestead-denial appeals and qualifying public-assistance cases.

What happens after

After filing, the VAB sends a hearing notice at least 25 calendar days before the hearing. Broward says 2026 exemption, classification, and valuation hearings begin in October 2026 and continue until all petitions are heard. Hearings are quasi-judicial and are held at the Governmental Center, 115 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale, unless a remote appearance is properly arranged.

For a residential value appeal, an Appraiser Special Magistrate hears the case. Exemption and classification cases go to an Attorney Special Magistrate. The magistrate is not part of the Property Appraiser’s office. Most single-parcel hearings are short; the DR-486 form notes that most hearings take about 15 minutes. You may bring evidence and witnesses, and witnesses can be sworn.

If you do not want to appear, DR-486 lets you check that you will not attend but want your evidence considered. For that non-oral option, submit duplicate copies of your evidence to the VAB clerk; the Property Appraiser can still object or cross-examine as allowed by law, and the ruling is made under the same standards.

Evidence timing matters. Current Florida law requires the Property Appraiser to provide its evidence list, documents, witness summaries, and property record card at least 15 days before the hearing. Submit your evidence early enough for the Property Appraiser and VAB to process it.

If the magistrate issues a worksheet you believe contains a legal error, Broward gives petitioners 15 calendar days from the worksheet mailing date to request legal review by the VAB Attorney. Final written VAB decisions are issued after the board completes its session; Florida law says decisions must be issued within 20 calendar days after the last day the board is in session. If your petition is still pending when taxes become due, pay the required amount anyway: for value and portability appeals, Broward says you must pay all non-ad valorem assessments plus at least 75% of ad valorem taxes before delinquency, or the petition must be denied.

Local tips

Check exemptions before you spend money on an appeal. Broward’s 2026 homestead timely deadline was March 2, 2026, but the absolute late-file deadline for 2026 exemptions is also September 18, 2026. Homestead saved Broward homeowners with qualifying homes worth $75,000+ between $659 and $1,009 in 2025, depending on city millage. If you moved from another Florida homestead within the last three tax years, check portability too.

Seniors should check the Low-Income Senior Additional Homestead Exemption. For 2026, Broward lists the income limit as $38,686 adjusted gross household income for 2025, age 65 or older as of January 1, 2026, and an existing homestead exemption. Many Broward municipalities, including Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pompano Beach, Pembroke Pines, Sunrise, Weston, and others, have adopted senior options.

Veterans, surviving spouses, deployed servicemembers, first responders, blind persons, and disabled homeowners should review BCPA’s exemption forms before filing a value petition. An exemption fix can be more valuable than a small value reduction.

For condos, use building-specific evidence. A sale in another Broward beach tower, golf community, or downtown building is often less persuasive than a same-building sale adjusted for floor, view, renovations, parking, assessments, and closing date. For single-family homes, start with BCPA’s property search and subdivision sales tools, then remove sales with major remodeling, waterfront differences, or abnormal financing.

Finally, keep receipts: portal confirmation number, transaction/password, stamped copy, certified mail proof, and your $25 payment record. The deadline is a received-by deadline, and Broward says the VAB cannot extend it except through a documented good-cause late-filing request reviewed by the VAB Attorney.

Broward Property Tax Rate

FY2026 Broward Countywide total millage rate: 5.6658 mills ($5.6658 per $1,000 of taxable value). This is the countywide Broward County rate only; individual property bills also include other taxing authorities and assessments that vary by location.

Source: https://www.broward.org/Budget/Documents/FY26/FY26%20Adopted%20Budget/FY26_Budget_in_brief.html

When Are Property Taxes Due in Broward?

Property taxes become due November 1, must be paid no later than March 31, and become delinquent on April 1. Installment plan schedule: 1st installment due June 30; 2nd due September 30; 3rd due December 31; 4th due March 31. If the first installment is not paid by June 30, payment by July 31 may keep the account enrolled but the 6% discount is lost. Early-payment discounts for bills paid in full: 4% in November, 3% in December, 2% in January, and 1% in February; no discount in March.

This is not the same as the assessment appeal deadline above. The appeal deadline is your window to contest your assessed value; the payment due date is when the resulting tax bill must be paid. Missing one does not affect the other, but missing either has real consequences — one forfeits your right to appeal for the year, the other can trigger penalties and interest.

Source: https://www.broward.org/recordstaxestreasury/taxesfees/documents/faq_about_your_tax_bill.pdf

Property Tax Exemptions in Broward

• Homestead Exemption — Legal Florida residents who own and occupy a home, condominium, co-op apartment, or qualifying mobile home lot as their permanent residence as of January 1.. Exemption on the first and third $25,000 of assessed value of an owner-occupied residence; the additional $25,000 applies only to the non-school portion of the tax bill. Yes, initial application; a new application is required after sale/disposition, ownership/use change, or if the holder no longer resides there as a permanent resident. Apply by For 2026: timely filing ended 2026-03-02; late filing deadline 2026-09-18. For 2027: timely filing deadline 2027-03-01; late filing deadline 2027-09-20.. (Source: https://bcpa.net/homestead.asp)
• Additional Low-Income Senior Exemption — Applicants age 65 or older as of January 1 who have Homestead Exemption and whose 2025 adjusted gross household income does not exceed $38,686 for the 2026 exemption year.. Additional $25,000 exemption for county taxes and for city taxes in municipalities that adopted it; some municipalities adopted an increase up to $50,000. A separate long-term residency senior exemption may exempt city ad valorem taxes in adopting municipalities for qualifying long-term residents. Yes; BCPA states this exemption must be applied for annually, with a renewal process. Apply by Filing period is January 1 through March 1 each year; for 2026 income documents were due by the March 2, 2026 deadline, with 2025 SSA-1099 due by June 1, 2026 if applicable; absolute late-file deadline for 2026 exemptions is 2026-09-18.. (Source: https://bcpa.net/senior_instructions.asp)
• $5,000 Disability Exemption — Bona fide Florida residents certified as totally and permanently disabled by a Florida-licensed physician, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or the Social Security Administration.. $5,000 exemption. Yes. Apply by For 2026: timely filing ended 2026-03-02; late filing deadline 2026-09-18. For 2027: timely filing deadline 2027-03-01; late filing deadline 2027-09-20.. (Source: https://bcpa.net/homestead.asp)
• $5,000 Disability Exemption for Blind Persons — Bona fide Florida residents certified blind by the Florida Division of Blind Services or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.. $5,000 exemption. Yes. Apply by For 2026: timely filing ended 2026-03-02; late filing deadline 2026-09-18. For 2027: timely filing deadline 2027-03-01; late filing deadline 2027-09-20.. (Source: https://bcpa.net/homestead.asp)
• $5,000 Exemption for Widowed Persons — Bona fide Florida residents who are widowed and provide proof such as a spouse's death certificate, newspaper clipping, or memorial card.. $5,000 exemption. Yes. Apply by For 2026: timely filing ended 2026-03-02; late filing deadline 2026-09-18. For 2027: timely filing deadline 2027-03-01; late filing deadline 2027-09-20.. (Source: https://bcpa.net/homestead.asp)
• $5,000 Veteran's Disability Exemption — Veterans with a service-connected disability of at least 10% before January 1, incurred during wartime service or by misfortune; an unremarried surviving spouse of an eligible disabled veteran may also qualify.. $5,000 exemption. Yes. Apply by For 2026: timely filing ended 2026-03-02; late filing deadline 2026-09-18. For 2027: timely filing deadline 2027-03-01; late filing deadline 2027-09-20.. (Source: https://bcpa.net/homestead.asp)

How to Look Up Your Property Record in Broward

You can look up your property's official record at https://web.bcpa.net/bcpaclient/#/Record-Search. Official Broward County Property Appraiser record search for tax-roll property information, including property values and exemptions on file.