More than $550 million has been recovered from property tax fraud in Orange County in Florida. The money comes from property owners who wrongfully applied for property tax exemptions when they did not qualify, primarily Florida’s homestead tax exemption, the county appraiser’s office announced.
The recovered money has been returned to taxpayers.
Orange County Property Appraiser Rick Singh hired three former law enforcement professionals to investigate property owners trying to beat the system. He introduced a tax fraud hotline for citizens to report suspicious properties, resulting in the recovery of the hundreds of millions of dollars.
“Counties everywhere should invest in diligent investigative work and make it a top priority to catch those that cheat the system,” Singh said in a press release. “That way our communities receive the funding they need to provide vital services to their citizens, like law enforcement, fire, EMS, and schools, and honest tax payers don't pick up the burden left by individuals or businesses that break the rules.”