Where Do Property Taxes Go?

Property taxes generated by the countywide tax rate represent 63% of the County’s General Fund revenues. Property taxes help support programs and services that are not fully offset by other revenues, such as law enforcement, road maintenance, social services and parks.

Other tax rates controlled by the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) include Emergency Medical Services and fire districts in unincorporated areas.

If you live in a city

For residents of a city or town in Pinellas County, the typical breakdown of where your property taxes go is shown below. The percentage for your city will vary by city. (Values on both graphs below may not add to 100% due to rounding. Percentages are based on the budget proposed on August 11, 2026, for the Countywide, EMS, School, and Other Districts. All others are FY26 rates, the latest available.)

A dollar bill with sections colored to represent the amount of that dollar that funds the following taxing authorities: City 30%, Schools 29%, County 21%, Water Management 9%, Other Districts 5%, Emergency Medical Services 4% and Transit 3%.

If you live in an unincorporated area in Pinellas County

Residents of unincorporated areas of Pinellas County pay the Municipal Services Taxing Unit (MSTU) instead of a city property tax. This pays for municipal services in the unincorporated area, such as law enforcement. The percentages will vary among municipalities, even when the tax rates for schools and certain other services stay the same. This happens because each service makes up a different share of the total tax bill for each property.

A dollar bill with sections colored to represent the amount of that dollar that funds the following taxing authorities: Schools 41%, County 30%, Unincorporated Area MSTU 14%, Other Districts 7%, Emergency Medical Services 5%, and Library 3%

Taxing Authorities

Property taxes are collected from more sources than just Pinellas County Government. In fact, the part of your tax bill that is set by the BCC is approximately 25% for a municipal taxpayer and 52% for a taxpayer living in an unincorporated area. Separate taxing authorities control the other parts of the bill. The BCC has no control or legal authority over those rates.

Details of your property tax are shown on your annual TRIM notice.

Millage

What is millage? One mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value. It’s how the taxing authorities calculate your property tax. You see this explained each year on your TRIM notice. When the County raises or lowers the millage, that change applies only to the County’s portion of your tax bill.

When property values increase and the millage rate stays the same, some homeowners will pay more taxes for a comparable home than a neighbor who has been exempted for years under Homestead Exemption and the Save Our Homes cap.

Want to know more about millage rates? Visit the Pinellas County Tax Collector website.