Do You Qualify for Property Tax Relief? Deadline to Apply is March 1

Pinellas County Property Appraiser Pam Dubov reminds permanent residents of Pinellas County that they may qualify for one or more property tax exemptions, which may result in hundreds of dollars in property tax savings. But, they must apply before the March 1^st deadline.

Florida offers several types of property tax benefits for qualified residents:

• Homestead Exemption for a primary residence
• Low Income Senior Exemption
• Widow/Widower Exemption
• Disability Exemptions and Exemptions for Blind Persons
• Exemptions for Veterans with a Service Connected Disability (or for his or her surviving spouse)
• Discount for combat wounded Florida Veterans over age 65 who entered the service while a Florida resident.
• An additional property tax exemption for certain deployed members of the United States military.

Each exemption has its own set of qualifications. To find out if you qualify, or for additional information, call the Personal Exemptions Division at 727-464-3294, or visit the Pinellas County Property Appraiser website at http://pcpao.org.

Some important facts to remember:

• The homestead exemption automatically renews each year, but not all of the exemptions do.
• If you purchased a property that had a homestead exemption at the time of purchase, that exemption will be removed on Dec. 31, and you will need to apply for your own.
• The deadline to file for a personal exemption for 2012 is Thursday, March 1.

Regular office hours are 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Property owners may also apply online from the website at www.pcpao.org.

The nearest office is at the County Courthouse, 315 Court St, Clearwater (second floor).

Editor's note: This is a press release submitted from the Pinellas County Property Appraiser.