The price is already on record
An open-market sale between unrelated parties is the evidence counties themselves rely on. When the value sits well above it, there's a clear case to put to the board.
Florida commercial property tax appeals
You paid one price. The county values it at another.
If you bought a Florida commercial building and the county's value sits well above what you paid, we make the case to bring it down, using your sale price and the county's own records.
25% of the first-year tax saving. If there's no saving, there's no fee. Nothing upfront, and we cover the county's filing fee.
Free check, no commitment. We reply within one business day.
How the math worksExample, not a real building
County market value2026 tax roll$5,200,000
What the owner paidOpen-market sale, October 2025$4,400,000
Less normal costs of saleThe county's own 15% deduction−$660,000
Price after the county's deduction$3,740,000
Difference$1,460,000
Tax on the differenceAt 19.8 mills≈ $28,900 / yr
25 daysThe window to file after the county mails proposed values in August.Read the statute
15% off the priceThe deduction most counties use for costs of sale. Broward and Orange use 10%.County filings (PDF)
7,467 of 12,386Commercial parcels whose value Miami-Dade's board reduced for tax year 2024, out of 12,386 that asked.County notice (PDF)
Florida lawFlorida tells every county to consider what a seller nets after the costs of sale.Read the statute
Why it matters after you buy
What you paid is the evidence Florida tells the county to weigh.
The county's value comes from a mass model run across every property. Yours comes from a real buyer and a real seller agreeing a price for this building.
The 10% cap resets when you buy
Florida limits yearly increases in a commercial building's assessed value to 10% for county, city and other non-school taxes. A sale ends that cap: from the January 1 after you buy, the whole bill is based on the county's full market value, so an inflated value costs the most right after a purchase.
Counties don't always catch up
Some appraisers move a value toward a recent sale on their own. Others don't, or not far enough. We check your August notice before anything is filed, and if the county has fixed it, we stop.
Run the numbers
See what the gap could be worth on your building.
Pick your county, then enter two numbers: what you paid and the county's market value (on your TRIM notice or the property appraiser's website). The math runs on this page and nothing is sent anywhere.
How it works
Six steps. Nothing is filed until you sign.
Florida runs on a fixed calendar: values are set as of January 1, notices go out in August, and petitions are due 25 days later.
- Any time
Free check
Send us the address. We compare your sale with the county's value and tell you plainly whether there's a case. If there isn't, we'll say so. 2027 values are set as of January 1 and the August filing window is only 25 days, so checking early means the paperwork is signed before the notice arrives.
- Before August
You approve
If it's worth pursuing, you sign the state's one-year representation form, which we prepare for you, plus a one-page engagement letter. It's signed in front of a notary and two witnesses, and we'll walk you through it. It covers one year and doesn't renew on its own.
- Mid-August
The notice arrives
The county mails its proposed values (the TRIM notice). We check yours against the case. If the county has already brought the value in line, we stop and you owe nothing.
- Within 25 days
We take it from there
We file on time, deal with the property appraiser's office, and present the case at the Value Adjustment Board hearing. You don't need to attend.
- Fall to spring
The decision
Keep paying your tax bill while the petition is open: at least 75% of the property tax, plus any non-ad valorem assessments, before it goes delinquent. If the value comes down, the county refunds the overpayment with interest.
- After it's final
The fee, only if you saved
We invoice 25% of the first-year saving once the result is final: after the 60-day window in which the property appraiser can take a decision to court, or after any court case ends.
What we handle on every case
- Confirm the sale was an open-market deal between unrelated parties.
- Separate out any part of the price that paid for furniture, equipment or a business.
- Check the building's condition and use as of January 1, the date values are set.
- Prepare and file the petition before the deadline.
- Exchange evidence with the county on the board's schedule.
- Present the case at the hearing and check the final bill.
What it costs
25% of the first-year saving. If there's no saving, there's no fee.
- The saving is the drop in your tax bill for the year we appeal, comparing the original value with the final one at that year's tax rates.
- We bill only once the result is final. In some cases the property appraiser can ask a circuit court to review the board's decision (for example, a cut of more than 5% on a value over $2.5 million) and has 60 days to file. We wait until that window closes, or until any court case ends, so you only pay on a saving you keep.
- We pay the county's filing fee, up to $50 per parcel.
- Never charged: a retainer, hourly fees, a fee on later years, or a contract that renews by itself.
| First-year saving | My fee | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| $8,000 | $2,000 | $6,000 |
| $20,000 | $5,000 | $15,000 |
| $40,000 | $10,000 | $30,000 |
| No saving | $0 | $0 |
Reach Philip directly
- (603) 475-0195
- philip@pricepaidtax.com
- 500 Brickell Ave, Unit 2907, Miami, FL 33131
Philip TrachierFounder, Price Paid Tax LLC
Who does the work
One person on your case, start to finish.
Price Paid Tax is run by Philip Trachier. [Two or three sentences on Philip's background, written as "He ...": what he does, how long, and why numbers like these are familiar ground]
We started Price Paid Tax because the strongest case in Florida property tax is often the simplest one: an owner who just paid a known price, and a county value that ignores it.
- Philip builds every case and presents it himself. You deal with one person throughout.
- Nothing is filed without your written OK.
- We take a small number of buildings each season, so each one gets full attention.
- We reply within one business day, usually the same day.
You shouldn't have to take our word for it. This site shows the math, with every source linked. Check any number against the public record.
Where the numbers come from
Every figure traces to a public source.
The law and the county records behind every number on this page.
Section 193.011, Florida StatutesThe factors every county must consider, including net proceeds after costs of sale (factor 8).flsenate.gov →
Section 194.034, Florida StatutesWho may represent an owner before the Value Adjustment Board, including under a power of attorney.flsenate.gov →
Section 193.1555, Florida StatutesThe 10% yearly cap on commercial assessments, and how it resets after a sale.flsenate.gov →
Section 194.011, Florida StatutesThe petition deadline: the 25th day after the county mails its August notice.flsenate.gov →
Section 194.014, Florida StatutesPaying at least 75% of the tax while a petition is open, and refunds with interest.flsenate.gov →
Sections 194.036 and 194.171When the property appraiser can take a board decision to circuit court, and the 60-day filing window.flsenate.gov →
Form DR-493, all countiesEach county's reported deduction from sale prices for costs of sale.floridarevenue.com (PDF) →
Miami-Dade VAB results, 2024The county's published notice of parcels that asked for a reduction and values reduced, by property type.miamidade.gov (PDF) →
Cost-of-sale deductions: each county reports its percentage to the Florida Department of Revenue every year on Form DR-493. Nearly every county reports 15% for commercial property; Broward and Orange report 10%. Tax rates in the estimator are county-wide 2025 averages calculated from the Department of Revenue's 2025 County Profiles; your rate depends on where the building sits. Last reviewed October 2026.
Questions
What owners usually ask.
Who represents me at the hearing?
Philip Trachier, personally. Florida law lets a property owner appoint a representative under a power of attorney to file the petition and present the case to the county's Value Adjustment Board (section 194.034(1)(b), Florida Statutes). You sign one for each tax year, and we take it from there: filing, evidence, the hearing and follow-up.
Do I need to pay for an appraisal?
Usually not, and that's part of the appeal. The petition is built on your sale price and the county's own records, which Florida already tells the county to consider. If a building ever needs a formal appraisal, we'll tell you up front and you decide whether it's worth it.
What if the county lowers the value on its own?
Then you owe nothing. Some counties move toward a recent sale price by themselves. We check your August notice before filing, and if the value is already in line, we stop there.
Can I file on my own?
Yes, any owner can. Many hand it off because of the 25-day window, the rule to pay 75% of the tax before it goes delinquent, the evidence exchange and the hearing itself. Already filed? We can take it over from there.
What do you need from me?
Usually just the page of your closing statement that shows the price and date, and the signed power of attorney. If the building's income matters to the case, a rent roll. Please black out account numbers and tenants' personal details first. We'll send you a secure upload link, so nothing sensitive travels by email.
Do I have to attend the hearing?
No. Philip presents the case. You're welcome to join, and we'll tell you the date and how it went.
Do I keep paying my taxes during the appeal?
Yes. While a petition is open, pay at least 75% of the property tax, plus any non-ad valorem assessments, before it goes delinquent. Otherwise the board has to deny the petition. If the value comes down, the overpayment is refunded with interest.
What if the price included furniture, equipment or a business?
Then only the part of the price that paid for the real estate counts. Tell us during the free check and we'll work from that figure. The same goes for a building bought as part of a portfolio.
Why 25%?
It's one fee, once: 25% of the first year's saving, with nothing upfront and the filing fee covered. Some firms take a share of every year's saving; with ours, every year after the first is yours.
I own more than one building. Can you look at all of them?
Yes. Send us the addresses. Each building gets its own check and, if it goes ahead, its own one-year power of attorney.
How is my information handled?
We use what you send only for your case, share it only with the county and the board as the case needs, and delete it once the case is final. The details are on the privacy page.
Check my building
Send us the address. We'll send you the numbers.
Free, with no commitment. We'll compare your sale with the county's value and tell you whether there's a case.
- Got an email from us?Just reply to it. That's the quickest way.
- Call or text(603) 475-0195
- Mail500 Brickell Ave, Unit 2907, Miami, FL 33131