The TRIM notice (Notice of Proposed Property Taxes) is a one-page document each Florida Property Appraiser mails in August. It looks routine but contains every number you need to decide whether to appeal.
Legal basis
§ 200.069 requires the PA to mail TRIM to every property owner before August 25. The notice must include just value, assessed value, exemptions, the taxing authorities' proposed millage, the dates of their public hearings, and the appeal deadline (25 days from the mailing date).
Just vs assessed
The top of the notice shows two side-by-side values: just value (what the PA says the property would sell for on January 1) and assessed value (just value minus caps and exemptions). For a homestead, these will diverge — that gap is your Save Our Homes benefit. For commercial, they often equal each other unless the 10% non-homestead cap applies.
Millage and taxing authorities
The middle section lists each taxing authority — county, school district, municipality, fire district, library, etc. — and the millage rate they propose for the new fiscal year. One mill = $1 per $1,000 of assessed value. Multiply each millage by your assessed value (in thousands) and add up to estimate your bill.
Public hearings
Each taxing authority lists a date and time where the public can comment on the proposed millage. These are not appeal hearings — your appeal goes to the VAB, not to these public meetings. Attendance is optional.
The appeal deadline
The bottom of the TRIM notice (sometimes the back) states the VAB filing deadline. It is exactly 25 days from the TRIM mailing date — not the date you received the notice in your mailbox. Mark this on a calendar; missing it forecloses your appeal until next year.
What the TRIM does not tell you
The TRIM doesn't list comparable sales, doesn't show how the PA chose your just value, and doesn't explain the cap math. To get those, you'd need the PA's working file (often via county portal or public records request). Your appeal builds the alternative story.