Bay County Property Appraiser Contact Information
650 Mulberry Ave
Panama City, FL 32401
(850) 784-4095 Main Office
(850) 236-3234 Panama City Beach, FL
(850) 265-4364 Lynn Haven, FL
Fun Facts About Bay County
- Number of Properties - 112,161
- Number of Condominiums - 19,687
- Number of Single Family Homes - 52,436
- Number of Homes Built Before 1940 - 1,752
- Number of Swimming Pools - 8,942
- Number of Golf Courses - 8
- Number of Acres in Bay County - 481,900
Taxing Authorities
The Property Appraiser has NO jurisdiction or responsibility for district budgets, tax rates, special assessments, or determining the amount of taxes you pay. These matters are handled by the various taxing authorities; i.e. the county government, city government, school board and other taxing districts.
If you think your property value is wrong, call the property appraiser. If you think your property taxes are to high, call your city or county commissioner or school board representative.
How are millage rates set? Taxing authorities set millage rates based upon their determination of what services are needed. They set the rate by dividing their total budget by the total taxable value of property within the taxing district. The amount of taxes you owe is determined by applying the millage rate to your property's taxable value.
Property Tax Exemptions
- There are various tax exemptions you may apply for in Bay County, here is a list:
- $50,000 Homestead Exemption (recently changed)
- Additional $50,000 Home Stead Exemption for persons over 65, who meet the eligibility criteria
- $500 widow's, widower's, disability, or blind exemption
- $5,000 Veteran's Disability Exemption
- Service-connected Total and Permanent Disability Exemption
- Disabled Veteran's Percentage Discount
- Exemption for Totally and Permanently Disabled Persons who meet the eligibility criteria.
About The New Amendments
- Provisions of Amendment One
- Homeowners may transfer their Save Our Homes (SOH) benefit to a new homestead anywhere in Florida within 2 years of leaving their former homestead.
- Those who sold their homes in 2007 can transfer their SOH benefit to a new homestead if they establish the new homestead by January 1, 2009.
- If "up sizing" to a home of equal or greater just value, the homestead owner can transfer 100% of the SOH benefit to the new homestead, up to a $500,000 transfer benefit.
- If "downsizing" to a home with a lower just value, the homestead owner can transfer a SOH benefit that protects the same percentage of value as it did the former homestead, up to a $500,000 benefit. (%=SOH Cap/Just Val)
- The transferred SOH benefit will apply to school taxes on the new homestead.
- Creates an additional homestead exemption worth $25,000, applied to a value above $50,000.
- This exemption does not apply to school tax levies.
- Based on approximately 41,000 HX parcels in Bay County, the impact to revenue of this provision is estimated at $5,700,00.
- It provides an assessment growth limitation of 10% for all non-homestead properties.
- This assessment limitation does not apply to school tax levies.
- The assessment limitation will expire in 10 years. At tat time, voters will decide whether to reauthorize it.
- Does not take effect until 2009.
- No longer requires an initial application to be filed or annually renewed. (Owner must properly notify the property appraiser of "any change of ownership or control; 10 r recapture penalties apply).
- County wide the value total is approximately $15.9 billion.
- It creates a new Tangible Personal Property (TPP) Exemption of $25,000.
- This exemption applies to all tax levies.
- This provision reduces TPP accounts in Bay County from 11,700 to 2,311.
