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House Bill 0253




    Florida House of Representatives - 1997                 HB 253

        By Representative Smith






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to ad valorem tax

  3         administration; amending s. 197.222, F.S.;

  4         providing that the tax collector may accept a

  5         late payment of the first installment of ad

  6         valorem taxes prepaid by the installment

  7         method; providing a penalty; providing an

  8         effective date.

  9

10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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12         Section 1.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section

13  197.222, Florida Statutes, 1996 Supplement, as amended by

14  chapter 96-288, Laws of Florida, is amended to read:

15         197.222  Prepayment of estimated tax by installment

16  method.--

17         (1)  Taxes collected pursuant to this chapter may be

18  prepaid in installments as provided in this section.  A

19  taxpayer may elect to prepay by installments for each tax

20  notice with taxes estimated to be more than $100.  A taxpayer

21  who elects to prepay taxes shall make payments based upon an

22  estimated tax equal to the actual taxes levied upon the

23  subject property in the prior year.  Such taxpayer shall

24  complete and file an application for each tax notice to prepay

25  such taxes by installment with the tax collector prior to May

26  1 of the year in which the taxpayer elects to prepay taxes in

27  installments pursuant to this section.  The application shall

28  be made on forms supplied by the department and provided to

29  the taxpayer by the tax collector. After submission of an

30  initial application, a taxpayer shall not be required to

31  submit additional annual applications as long as he or she

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 1997                 HB 253

    60-250-97






  1  continues to elect to prepay taxes in installments pursuant to

  2  this section.  However, if in any year the taxpayer does not

  3  so elect, reapplication shall be required for a subsequent

  4  election to do so.  Installment payments shall be made

  5  according to the following schedule:

  6         (a)  The first payment of one-quarter of the total

  7  amount of estimated taxes due shall be made not later than

  8  June 30 of the year in which the taxes are assessed.  A

  9  6-percent discount applied against the amount of the

10  installment shall be granted for such payment.  The tax

11  collector may accept a late payment of the first installment

12  under this paragraph within 30 days after June 30; such late

13  payment must be accompanied by a penalty of 5 percent of the

14  amount of the installment due.

15         Section 2.  This act shall take effect January 1, 1998.

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18                          HOUSE SUMMARY

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      Authorizes tax collectors to accept late payment of the
20    first installment of ad valorem taxes prepaid by the
      installment method within 30 days after the June 30 due
21    date, with a 5-percent penalty.

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