Date Taxes Become Due Taxes become due and payable to the Collector on November 1st with a discount of 4% if paid in November, 3% in December, 2% in January and 1% in February. Taxes become delinquent April 1st. Taxes are levied on a calendar-year basis, being paid in arrears for the period January 1st - December 31st.
For more information on Taxes, please visit the web site of the HIGHLANDS COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR.
193.072 Penalties for improper or late filing of returns and for failure to file returns.
Current 2019
1) The following penalties shall apply:
(a) For failure to file a return—25 percent of the total tax levied against the property for each year that no return is filed.
(b) For filing returns after the due date—5 percent of the total tax levied against the property covered by that return for each year, for each month, or portion thereof, that a return is filed after the due date, but not to exceed 25 percent of the total tax.
(c) For property unlisted on the return—15 percent of the tax attributable to the omitted property.
(d) For incomplete returns by railroad and railroad terminal companies and private car and freight line and equipment companies—2 percent of the assessed value, not to exceed 10 percent thereof, shall be added to the values apportioned to the counties for each month or fraction thereof in which the return is incomplete; however, the return shall not be deemed incomplete until 15 days after notice of incompleteness is provided to the taxpayer.
(2) Penalties listed in this section shall be determined upon the total of all ad valorem personal property taxes, penalties and interest levied on the property, and such penalties shall be a lien on the property.
(3) Failure to file a return, or to otherwise properly submit all property for taxation, shall in no regard relieve any taxpayer of any requirement to pay all taxes assessed against him or her promptly.
(4) For good cause shown, and upon finding that such unlisting or late filing of returns was not intentional or made with the intent to evade or illegally avoid the payment of lawful taxes, the property appraiser or, in the case of properties valued by the Department of Revenue, the executive director may reduce or waive any of said penalties.