If you own a piece of property, you may have dreams about turning it into a commercial leasing space or another money-making venture. You also may know exactly how much tax you must pay on the property each year. If you decide to pursue a zoning change, you should realize your tax liability may also change.
There are many types of zoning in Florida, so you should research how a specific type of zoning may affect your tax obligations. If you intend to switch from residential to commercial zoning, though, it may be helpful to understand the assessment of property taxes in the Sunshine State.
A change in the tax rate you pay
The zoning on your piece of property places restrictions on how you may use it. While zoning does not necessarily affect the value of your property, it may change the tax rate you must pay. For example, if you have a residential parcel and change it to a commercial one, you probably must pay the commercial tax rate.
If you intend to split zoning by making part of the property commercial and another part residential, you may have to pay two different tax rates. That is, you may pay the commercial rate for that section and the residential rate for the residential area.
A new assessment
The goal of your zoning change may be to generate income. If you improve the property after the zoning change, your tax liability may increase considerably. That is, the county assessor may determine the property is more valuable, effectively causing you to pay more in property tax.
Put simply, whether zoning ultimately affects your property taxes probably depends on the value of the parcel, the appropriate tax rate and the assessor’s valuation.
