In an effort to continue saving customers time and provide added convenience, the Lee County Tax Collector has launched the online sale of specialty license plates.

With causes ranging from education to environment, sports to health, Florida offers more than 100 different specialty plates on behalf of various organizations. The money raised from their sale goes directly to the organization. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, since inception, millions of dollars have been raised.

With the launch of online sales at LeeTC.com, buying these specialty plates has never been easier. The platform allows customers to view the designs and select their preferred option, paying by credit card, debit card or e-check. Once the order is placed, the plate is mailed directly to them. Customers can even purchase them as gifts for others.

“We know time is precious,” says Tax Collector Noelle Branning. “This new platform provides convenience for our customers, allowing us to deliver 5-star service quickly and efficiently, which is our mission.”

Including the purchase of specialty plates, customers can also renew their vehicle registration, pay their property taxes, apply for and renew a business tax receipt, buy specialty plate vouchers and in some cases, renew their driver license online through LeeTC.com/pay-online. Customers can also run reports for Real Estate and Business Tax.

April 2024

The County will be sealing and striping the part of the parking lot marked in orange at our Lehigh Acres Service Center on Wednesday and Thursday April 10 and 11.

The entrance to the lot from Milwaukee Boulevard will be closed.

Please use the entrance on Homestead Boulevard South.

April 2024

Need to print a property tax receipt for your 2023 Income Taxes?

You can do that in three simple steps:

1. Visit our property tax payment website.
2. Enter your name or address in the search field and select your record.
3. The Account History will display the tax year and show paid.
4. A receipt can be printed by clicking Print(PDF).

April, 2024

Lee County Tax Collector’s Lehigh Acres Office Relocating to Better Serve Residents

We’re moving! The Lee County Tax Collector is moving its Lehigh Acres Service Center to a new location, effective March 19, 2024. This move comes as part of our ongoing commitment to enhance services and accessibility for residents.

The new office, located at 600 Homestead Road South is a state-of-the-art facility with modern amenities. Designed to provide a more efficient and comfortable experience for customers, the 9,640 square foot office will offer assistance with property tax payments, driver licenses and ID cards, titles and registrations, disabled parking permits, hunting and fishing licenses and birth certificates. HazMat fingerprinting will be added to the list of services later this spring.

“I am incredibly excited about the relocation of our Lehigh Acres office,” says Noelle Branning, Lee County Tax Collector. “This move underscores our dedication to serving the needs of our residents with exceptional levels of service from our knowledgeable staff. I truly believe it will change the way people feel about our office and how we deliver service.”

Our current office on Lee Boulevard will close at 5pm on Thursday, March 14, with the new office opening at 8:30am on March 19. During the transition customers are encouraged to visit our website, LeeTC.com, or another branch office, to complete their transactions.

February 26, 2024

Need some new bling for the front of your car? Buy a decorative tag designed by fifth graders in the School District of Lee County!

The Lee County Tax Collector and the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools have opened the online ordering portal LeeTC.com/Kids-Tag-Art/2023-24. The portal features 3,460 student designs from 42 different schools. All proceeds from the sales go back to participating art teachers to purchase supplies and introduce new techniques, like 3D art, to their students.

Kids Tag Art was started in Lee County in 2016 and inspires fifth grade students to design their own license plates fashioned after Florida’s specialty plate program. Students learn how these license plates support deserving causes, like environmental protection, health initiatives and public education. Then their designs are turned into tags that can be placed on the front of a vehicle or on a bike. Key fobs, mouse pads and mugs are also available.

Since the program’s inception, more than $200,000 have been raised and given to participating art teachers in Lee County.

The Philanthropist Sponsor for Kids Tag Art is Suncoast Credit Union. Other sponsors include Lee County Electric Co-op (LCEC), Edison Bank/Bank of the Islands, Grant Street Group, First Horizon, Dprint, JP Morgan, and The Community Foundation providing additional funding to support our teachers.

I need to change my mailing address – who do I call?
The Property Appraiser is responsible for maintaining property records, including the mailing address. You can make the change on their website, www.leepa.org or call their office at 239-533-6100.

I have a question about my exemptions – who do I call?
The Property Appraiser is responsible for maintaining property records, including the exemptions. You can visit their website for more information, www.leepa.org or call their office at 239-533-6100.

How do I know if my payment was received?
Visit our website www.LeeTC.com and click Pay Online. Choose Property Tax and enter your name or address in the following search field and select your record. The Account History will display the tax year and show Unpaid or Paid. A receipt can be printed from the Print(PDF) action. Please allow 7 – 10 days for mail and processing.

How can I get a receipt for my tax payment?
Visit our property tax payment website enter your name or address in the search field and select your record. The Account History will display the tax year and show paid. A receipt can be printed by clicking Print(PDF).

How do I print my property tax bill?
Visit our property tax payment website enter your name or address in the search field and select your record. Click on Print(PDF) which is located under the “Add to Cart” button. You can print a hard copy or save the file to your computer.

Can I still sign up for the installment payment plan for 2023?
Unfortunately, no. Applications for quarterly installment payments must be received in our office by April 30^th of the current tax year. You can submit an application for the 2024 tax year. Visit https://leetc.com/payment-options/ to learn more.

Can I make payments on my 2023 property tax bill?
Unfortunately, no. Partial payments are no longer being accepted for the 2023 tax year. Check our payment options page in November 2024 for details on how to sign up at that time.

I no longer have a mortgage, why is a mortgage company listed on my tax notice?
If you have recently paid your mortgage in full, your property may have still been listed on their records for tax payments. Contact the mortgage company to be sure there are no escrow funds allocated for the current tax year. Although the mortgage company is listed, you can still make the payment in November to receive the 4% discount.

Why did I get a tax bill for the full year when I just bought the property?
Property taxes are accounted for when closing on a property and charged or credited for your portion by the closing agent. The tax bill for the full year is sent to the current owner of record. Refer to your settlement (closing) statement or call your title company or attorney if you have
any questions.

I sold this property, why am I getting a tax bill?
Annual tax bills are mailed to the owner of record as of the date the official tax role is sent to us from the Property Appraiser. Change of ownership is recorded with the Clerk of Court, then sent to the Property Appraiser, so it may just be an issue of timing. You can forward the bill to the new owner or refer to your closing agent for tax payment.

Why did I get a Tangible Tax bill for my property?
Tangible Personal Property refers to all assets used in a business or rental activity of a home that are subject to an ad valorem assessment. More specifically, it is furniture, fixtures, tools, machinery, household appliances, equipment, signs, leasehold improvements, supplies, and leased equipment – whatever is used to generate income. If you recently purchased a home that is no longer used for rental, contact the Property Appraiser’s office at 239-533-6140.

 

It’s that time of year when real estate property tax notices are mailed to property owners throughout Lee County.

Annual taxes are determined using the following calculation:

All the above components are listed on your tax bill, you just need to know where to look.

Let’s work through the bill using this handy guide, starting from the upper left corner. There, your Account Number and Alternate Key are listed. Those will be useful if you need to contact our office, or the Property Appraiser’s Office.

To the right of the Account Number, are the site address and legal description of the property. Any changes to those will need to be made by contacting the Property Appraiser’s Office at www.leepa.org or 239-533-6100.

Moving further to the right is a QR Code. Scanning that code with your mobile phone’s camera will take you directly to your online account where you can pay your taxes.

Furthest to the right, in the upper corner of the bill is a list of exemptions and their values. If you have questions about these, please contact the Property Appraiser’s Office at www.leepa.org or 239-533-6100.

The center of the page has a list of Levying Authorities along with their telephone numbers and rates. Any questions about the rates or services provided, need to be answered by calling the Levying Authority directly.

About 2/3 of the way down the page, on the right, above the perforation line, you will see the total amount of Ad Valorem and Non-Ad Valorem Taxes.

However, if paid early, there is a discount on that amount. Taxes paid in November receive a 4% discount, December a 3% discount, January a 2% and February is a 1% discount. Those amounts are reflected in the payment box on the bottom right of the notice.

Simply check the box next to the amount you wish to pay, tear off the coupon and return it, along with payment, in the envelope provided.

You can also pay online by scanning the QR code at the top of the bill, or by going to www.LeeTC.com and clicking Pay Online.

For additional guidance on which office to call with questions, please refer to the chart below, located on the back of the notice.

Once tax payments are received, my office is responsible for distributing the dollars to the Levying Authorities.

Thank you for allowing me and my team to assist you. It is an honor.

Noelle Branning
Lee County Tax Collector
www.LeeTC.com

 

They’re neither a trick nor a treat, just a reality.

Today, more than 562,000 tax bills are being mailed to property and business owners in Lee County. For those who signed up to receive their bill via email, those will be sent tomorrow, November 1, 2023.

These bills reflect the value of the property as of January 1, 2023, when Florida law required them to be assessed.

Tax payments are due by March 31, 2024, but discounts are given if paid early. Taxes paid in November receive a 4% discount, in December a 3% discount, in January a 2% discount and in February a 1% discount.

“This year’s tax collections are expected to be more than $2.2 billion before discount,” shared Noelle Branning, Lee County Tax Collector. “All dollars collected by our office are turned around and distributed to the Levying Authorities in Lee County to pay for services including fire rescue and law enforcement, and infrastructure such as schools, roads, parks, and utilities.”

This year’s tax bill has been redesigned to be easier to read and understand. In addition, resources have been created to help property owners better understand how Florida’s property tax system works, how to read a tax notice and most importantly, who to call with questions about a tax bill.

“It is our mission to deliver 5-star service to our customers,” explains Branning. “These new resources will help property owners find the answers they need quickly and pay their bills with efficiency.”

Tax bills can be paid online at LeeTC.com, via mail, over the phone, or in person at one of our six locations either by drop box, or by meeting with a customer service representative.

Property owners whose property taxes are paid through an escrow account should contact their mortgage company for information about the company’s plan for remitting escrowed property tax payments.

Last week, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the Great Outdoors Initiative to encourage Floridians to go outdoors and explore Florida’s natural resources, including our award-winning state parks, vast recreation areas, and world-renowned waterways.

The Great Outdoors Initiative directs the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to provide a 50% discount on Gold Sportsman licenses.

From October 14, 2023, through January 13, 2024, FWC will discount its annual resident Gold Sportsman license, 5-year Gold Sportsman license, and Lifetime Sportsman license by 50%.

• Annual Gold Sportsman – $50.75, plus applicable fees
• 5-year Gold Sportsman – $247.75, plus applicable fees
• Lifetime Sportsman –
  • Age 0-4 – $201.50, plus applicable fees
  • Age 5-12 – $351.50, plus applicable fees
  • Ages 13-64 – $501.50, plus applicable fees

Customers can purchase the discounted licenses at a tax collector’s office, online at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com, or through the Fish|Hunt FL App.

One of the most frustrating parts of coming to a Tax Collector’s Office, is realizing that you do not have the documents you need to complete your transaction.

Unfortunately, there is not a “one list fits all” approach for Motor Vehicle and Driver License services. The documents you need depend on what you want to accomplish.

In order to make things a little easier, we created these direct links to pages on our site that list what you need to bring.

• Driver License / Identification Card
• Vehicle Titles and Registrations 
• Vessel Titles and Registrations
• Mobile Home Titles and Registrations
• Trailer Titles and Registrations
• Heavy Truck Registrations
• Concealed Weapon License 

When you get to one of our offices, check with our representative at the Customer Care Cart who will go through your documents to ensure that you have everything.

If you forgot something, no worries. As long as we don’t need the original, you can fax us or email us a copy. You can also print it using our public printer.

We hope that these resources create efficiency and enhance your experience with our office!