Fall Closing in Miami: How Property Taxes Get Prorated
How are property taxes prorated when I sell my Miami home in the fall?
Florida property taxes are paid in arrears, so you owe the buyer a credit for the days you owned the home, January 1 through the day before closing in most contracts. If you close before the November bill is mailed, the title agent estimates the number using the current assessment or last year's tax, with the 4% early-payment discount built in. If you close in January or later, you pay the full 2026 bill yourself.
By Lynley Ciorobea | October 8, 2026
If you close in October, your 2026 property tax bill does not exist yet. You still owe most of it.
Florida taxes are paid in arrears. The bill covers the calendar year, goes out around November 1, and is due by March 31 of the following year. Whoever owns the house when it arrives pays it. So at closing, the buyer gets a credit for the months you lived there and used the services the tax pays for, and the buyer settles up with the county later.
Here is the math on a made-up Pinecrest house. Say your homestead-capped taxable value is $1.6 million. Pinecrest's total millage on the 2025 roll was 17.5257, which puts the bill near $28,000. Take off the 4% discount for paying in November and you are at roughly $26,900. Close on November 20 and you owned the house for 323 days, so you credit the buyer about $23,800. Same house in Coral Gables (18.1852 mills) or South Miami (18.9727) runs a little higher. Those are 2025 rates, so check this year's TRIM notice and treat the example as a sketch, not a quote.
Before the bill, after the bill
The standard Florida Realtors/Bar contract prorates on the current year's tax, with allowance for the maximum discount and your exemptions. If the assessment is known but the millage isn't, it uses this year's assessment and last year's millage. If neither is available, last year's tax. Your attorney may use a different form, so read yours.
By October the guesswork is smaller than people think. The TRIM notices went out in August and the budget hearings wrapped up in September, so the title agent is working from numbers that are close to final.
Still, ask for one sentence in the contract: the proration will be readjusted at either party's request when the real bill arrives. The standard form provides for that, but it only helps if somebody asks, and a few hundred dollars in either direction is easy to leave on the table.
Two other things shift the picture. If your lender already paid the 2026 bill out of your escrow account (that usually happens in November), you have prepaid the buyer's share and the proration flips: the buyer credits you. And when the bill is already out at closing, the title agent generally just pays it from the closing funds rather than estimating. Your escrow balance then comes back from the lender after payoff, usually within a few weeks. It is your money. Do not forget to chase it.
The January problem
This is the one that catches sellers off guard. Across Lynley's Pinecrest sales, the median was 50 days to contract. That is her record, not a forecast, but it makes a point: list today and your closing plausibly lands after the first of the year.
When that happens, you owe the entire 2026 bill. The buyer owns the house for 2027 and credits you only for the days after you hand over the keys. The bill itself is yours to pay, and the discount shrinks every month: 4% in November, 3% in December, 2% in January, 1% in February, nothing in March. On that $28,000 bill, paying in November instead of January saves about $560. Not life-changing. Also not nothing for ten minutes of work.
What the buyer sees that you don't
Your credit is built on your number. The Save Our Homes cap resets when the house sells, so the buyer's first bill will be based on something much closer to what they paid. A $3.2 million purchase assessed at, say, $2.7 million would produce a bill near $47,000 at that same Pinecrest rate, compared with your $28,000.
That gap is not your liability. It is, however, a deal problem when a buyer sees it for the first time at the closing table, so put the real figure in front of them early. If you are moving up or across town, your own cap may be able to travel with you; I covered how that works in Florida homestead portability. And if you want to see where proration lands in your overall proceeds, the seller net sheet walks through it line by line.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays the property tax bill if I sell in the fall?
Whoever holds title when the bill is due is responsible to the county. At closing, the seller credits the buyer for the days the seller owned the home, so the economic split follows the contract, not the name on the bill.
What happens if the November tax bill is higher than the closing estimate?
Most standard Florida contracts let either side request a readjustment once the actual bill arrives. If your contract does not say so, ask your attorney to add a written re-proration agreement before closing.
Does the 4% early-payment discount apply to my proration?
Usually, yes. Florida contracts commonly prorate with the maximum allowable discount, which is 4% when paid in November, even if the bill is actually paid later.
If I close in January, do I still owe 2026 taxes?
Yes. The 2026 bill covers the full calendar year and you owned the house for all of it, so you pay it, or your lender pays it from escrow, and the buyer credits you only for 2027 days.
If your closing may land after January 1, look up your folio on the Miami-Dade Tax Collector's site in the first week of November, find out whether your lender is paying it, and if not, pay it before November 30.
About Lynley Ciorobea
Lynley Ciorobea is a Miami-born real estate professional known for helping homeowners successfully prepare, position, and sell their homes across Coral Gables, South Miami, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, and the surrounding southern Miami neighborhoods. Since 2007, she has built her business around thoughtful strategy, strong negotiation, and a marketing-first approach designed to help listings stand out in an ever-evolving market.
A true local, Lynley grew up in Pinecrest and graduated from Palmer Trinity School before attending Duke University, where she earned a BA in Psychology. Her deep roots in Miami give her a nuanced understanding of the architecture, lifestyle, and character that make each neighborhood distinct. From classic Old Spanish homes in Coral Gables to newer construction in South Miami and Pinecrest, she brings a local perspective that goes far beyond surface-level market knowledge.
Over the years, Lynley has naturally become a trusted resource for homeowners preparing to sell. Many of her clients come to her long before their home ever hits the market, looking for guidance on timing, pricing, improvements, and how to position their property thoughtfully. She approaches each listing as a strategic launch rather than a simple transaction, combining market insight, negotiation experience, and elevated marketing to help sellers move forward with clarity and confidence.
As the founder of the Lynley Residential Group, Lynley remains personally involved in every listing she represents. She leads each transaction from initial strategy through closing, ensuring that every detail — from pricing and preparation to storytelling and exposure — reflects the uniqueness of the home itself. Her work often centers on architecturally interesting properties and homes where thoughtful positioning can make a meaningful difference in outcome.
Throughout her career, Lynley has consistently ranked among the top real estate agents in Miami. She has been recognized as part of EWM's Chairman's Club, placing in the top 5% of the company; in 2022 she was honored as the #2 individual agent at the company overall with $37 million in annual sales; and she's a leader in Miami with Real Broker. With more than $100 million in career transactions and more than 60 5-star Google reviews, her experience spans a wide range of property types while maintaining a strong focus on seller representation in southern Miami.
Beyond her work with clients, Lynley is known locally for her market insight and community-focused content. Through her weekly newsletter, neighborhood videos, blog posts, and social media, she shares thoughtful perspectives on the Miami real estate market and the lifestyle that surrounds it. Her approach is informative without being overwhelming, offering homeowners a clear understanding of how market conditions affect real decisions.
If you're preparing to sell a home in Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, South Miami, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, or nearby areas, Lynley offers a local perspective shaped by experience, relationships, and a genuine understanding of what makes Miami homes so special. Learn more at lynleyresidential.com.