The Alachua County Property Appraiser’s Office is excited to introduce TrueRoll, a software used for monitoring homestead exemption, to its internal processes on October 1, 2022.
This software will be used to detect incorrect filings and fraudulent activity. It consists of an extensive verifying process for both exemptions that have already been granted as well as new applications. This software extracts over 1,000 data sources and produces a prioritized list of potentially unqualified exemptions that will be reviewed by our staff in real-time.
In addition to capturing the unqualified exemptions, this software will also identify properties that qualify for the exemption but do not have it. This way those who are entitled can be contacted about this benefit.
Exemptions that are filed at multiple properties or secondary locations are illegal and a form of fraud. “This software will assist us in identifying those individuals whose circumstances changed after they applied, or who changed their documentation,” Property Appraiser, Ayesha Solomon said. “Therefore, they legally changed their primary residence after they were approved, making the exemption no longer valid.”
A common example of these improper exemptions is when residents claim the exemption on a vacation home or rental property. This office has discovered cases where property owners claim this exemption on homes in two different states or even on two homes in Alachua County at the same time.
“We currently have a strict process for verifying legal residence qualifications that involves checking applications against residents’ tax returns, driver’s licenses, voter registrations, and vehicle registrations for validation purposes,” Solomon said.
In 2022, the Alachua County Property Appraiser’s Office granted nearly 4,000 homestead exemptions to qualifying residents. Taxpayers who claim a homestead exemption for their primary residence will receive a reduced tax bill.
About the Alachua County Property Appraiser’s Office
The Alachua County Property Appraiser’s Office ensures that all taxable property in the county is assessed equitably and at its fair market value in accordance with Florida statutes. The Property Appraiser’s Office has two locations: 515 N. Main Street in Gainesville and 15010 NW 142nd Terrace in Alachua. For more information visit https://www.acpafl.org
