St. Johns County Taxes Shall Become Delinquent on April 1.: Florida Statutes 197.333 states, "Taxes shall become delinquent on April 1st following the year in which they are assessed." If you have not paid your taxes, to avoid a 3% penalty you must pay your taxes prior to April 1st. All payments must be postmarked March 31st or hand delivered to the office to avoid penalties.

Please Note: All owners of property shall be held to know that taxes are due and payable annually and are charged with the duty of ascertaining the amount of current and delinquent taxes and paying them before April 1st of the following year in which taxes are assessed. Florida statutes 197.122. Pay Taxes Online

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Under Florida Statute 197, the Tax Collector has the responsibility for the collection of ad valorem taxes and non-ad valorem taxes. These are levied by the county, municipalities, and various taxing authorities in the county. Ad Valorem taxes are based on the assessed value and the millage of each taxing authority. Non-ad valorem tax assessments are based on the fee charged by the special assessment which provides the benefit service (Example: Solid Waste assessments or paving assessments).

When do Real Estate Taxes Become Due?

Tax notices are mailed out by November 1st of each year. The bill covers January 1st through December 31st of the year of assessment.

What Discounts are Allowed?

• 4% if paid in November
• 3% if paid in December
• 2% if paid in January
• 1% if paid in February
• Gross amount of taxes are due in March.

When do Taxes Become Delinquent?

Taxes become delinquent April 1st following the year in which the taxes were due and owing. At that time a 3% penalty is added to the real estate tax bill.

Important Notice Regarding Payment of Delinquent Taxes: Delinquent Taxes to be paid by Certified Funds ONLY.

Can I Make Installment Payments?

Florida Statute 197 allows taxpayers to prepay their taxes on an alternative installment payment plan for each tax notice with taxes estimated to be more than $100.00. The taxpayer must make application with the Tax Collector's office prior to May 1 of the year in which the taxpayer elects to prepay taxes in installments. The first payment must be made no later than June 30th of that tax year. Installment form.

Who Places the Values and Allows for Exemptions on Real Estate?

The tax roll is completed by the Property Appraiser. It is then certified to the Tax Collector who mails the tax notice/receipt to the owner's last record of address as it appears on the tax roll.

What Happens if I Fail to Pay My Real Estate Taxes?

After real estate taxes become delinquent on April 1st of each year, they are advertised in a local newspaper once a week for three consecutive weeks. On or before June 1st, the Tax Collector must conduct a tax certificate sale on each unpaid parcel of property. When a certificate is sold against a piece of property, the successful bidder pays the delinquent taxes on that property and then receives a certificate which is a receipt and which also constitutes a first lien against the property. A taxpayer could pay interest up to the rate of 18% per year. This rate depends on the interest rate that was bid on at the tax certificate sale.

To redeem the certificate, the taxpayer must pay to the Tax Collector all delinquent taxes plus accrued interest, penalties, and advertising cost. The Tax Collector will then reimburse the tax certificate holder and the property will once again be free and clear of any tax liens.

If the taxpayer does not redeem the outstanding tax certificates, the certificate holder can apply for a tax deed. The certificate holder must hold the tax lien for twenty-two months before they can apply for the tax deed. The property owner is notified of the action and if the taxes are still not paid, the property will be auctioned off by the Clerk of the Circuit Court to the highest bidder, in a public sale at the courthouse. For more information about tax deeds call (904)819-3600 or email taxdeeds@stjohnsclerk.com.

For more information on St Johns County Real Estate Taxes, please contact the St. Johns County Tax Collector Office at (904)-209-2250 or taxcollector@sjctax.us.

Related Links

• Online Tax Search
• Millage Rates (pdf)
• More information about Tax Certificate Sales
• For TPESCROW files, County Held, Individual Held, and Available Certificates, please visit our Data Downloads page.