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Miami-Dade County property tax appeal

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Miami-Dade homeowners file Form DR-486 with the Value Adjustment Board within 25 days of the TRIM notice mailed in August. The 15 dollar filing fee covers one parcel. Special magistrates hear petitions in the fall, with comparable assessments as the central evidence.
Deadline
25 days after the TRIM notice (mailed mid-August)
Form
Form DR-486 filed with the VAB Clerk
Where to file
Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser
State guide
Florida overview

What works in Miami-Dade County

Miami-Dade VAB allows informal contact with the Property Appraiser's office before filing; many disputes resolve there first.

Across Florida, the strongest single-family appeals pair three to five recent comparable assessments with documented property condition. See the evidence and comps guide for what the VAB special magistrate will weigh.

How to file a Miami-Dade County property tax appeal step by step

  1. 1. Read your notice. Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser mails the TRIM notice in August. Check the account number, square footage, year built, lot size, and bedroom or bathroom count against reality. A recording error alone is grounds for a reduction. See common appraisal district errors.
  2. 2. Pull comparable properties. Find three to five homes within roughly half a mile that match yours on size, age, and condition. In Miami-Dade County the typical spread between similar homes inside the same ZIP is 28.1 percent, which is the gap your packet is built on.
  3. 3. File Form DR-486 filed with the VAB Clerk. Submit it to Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser by the deadline above. State a specific target value rather than leaving it blank, and select every applicable reason including unequal appraisal.
  4. 4. Take the informal review. Most Miami-Dade County reductions are settled here with a staff appraiser, before any board hearing. Bring the same one-page comp summary you would bring to the hearing.
  5. 5. Attend the Value Adjustment Board (VAB) hearing if needed. If the informal offer is below your evidence, continue to the hearing. Present the comps, the condition photos, and your target number, then stop talking.

What a reduction is worth in Miami-Dade County

The median assessed single-family value in Miami-Dade County is $509,952. A 10 percent reduction removes about $50,995 from the taxable value of a median home, and that lower base carries into future years rather than resetting each season. Across 384,543 homes analyzed in Miami-Dade County, 22.2 percent sit at least 15 percent above comparable neighbors. Your exact saving depends on the combined school, county, and city rates printed on your own bill.

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Miami-Dade County property tax appeal questions

What is the Miami-Dade County property tax appeal deadline in 2026?

25 days after the TRIM notice (mailed mid-August). Filing one day late ends the appeal for that tax year, so file as soon as the notice arrives rather than waiting for the deadline.

Which form do I file in Miami-Dade County?

Form DR-486 filed with the VAB Clerk. The form asks for your account number, the value you believe is correct, and your reason for appealing. In Florida you can select more than one reason, and selecting both market value and unequal appraisal keeps both arguments open.

Where do I file my Miami-Dade County appeal?

With the Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser. Online filing through the Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser portal is faster than mail and gives you a timestamped confirmation you can keep as proof of filing.

Do I need a lawyer or a appeal company in Miami-Dade County?

No. Homeowners file their own appeal in Miami-Dade County every year. Contingency firms typically keep 25 to 50 percent of the first-year savings, so self-filing with a comparable-sales packet keeps the entire reduction.

What evidence works best with Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser?

Three to five recent sales or assessments of similar homes within about half a mile, matched on square footage, age, and condition, plus dated photos of any defects. Vague statements about high taxes carry no weight with the Value Adjustment Board (VAB).

Will appealing raise my Miami-Dade County assessment?

A appeal cannot increase the value beyond what the district already proposed for that year. The realistic outcomes are a reduction or no change.

Guides for your Miami-Dade County appeal

Other Florida counties

General information only, not legal advice. Confirm the deadline on your most recent notice from Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser.

See how evenly homes in your county are assessed in our Assessment Gap Study of 5.9 million single-family homes.