Orange County Property Appraiser (OCPA) Rick Singh has announced the recovery of more than $550 million related to property tax fraud in Orange County, Florida. The money comes from property owners who wrongfully applied for property tax exemptions when they did not qualify, primarily Florida’s Homestead Tax exemption.
Under Florida law (Section 196.031, Florida Statutes), a property owner may be eligible to receive a homestead exemption up to $50,000 on the assessed value of his or her permanent residence or the permanent residence of his or her dependent. A corporate taxpayer may not claim the homestead exemption, and only one exemption is allowed per taxpayer, including a tax exemption or tax credit claimed in another state.
Some property owners have attempted to beat the system and claim more of an exemption than they are entitled. To try and beat them at their own game, Singh hired three former law enforcement professionals to investigate property owners suspected of cheating.
Singh also introduced a tax fraud hotline for citizens to report suspicious properties, resulting in the recovery of the hundreds of millions of dollars. The Exemption Fraud Hotline, at (407) 836-5046, allows taxpayers to report suspected fraud anonymously.
“Counties everywhere should invest in diligent investigative work and make it a top priority to catch those that cheat the system,” said Singh. “That way our communities receive the funding they need to provide vital services to their citizens, like law enforcement, fire, EMS, and schools, and honest taxpayers don’t pick up the burden left by individuals or businesses that break the rules.”
The OCPA is responsible for identifying, locating, and valuing all property, both real and personal, within the county for tax purposes based on the current real estate market. In addition to a strong residential real estate market, Orange County, Florida, is home to seven theme parks, including Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort, Epcot, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort, and SeaWorld Orlando. The OCPA appraises more commercial property than any other county in Florida: $33.1 billion in value, greater than the total tax roll of 54 of the state’s 67 counties.
