Georgia Property Taxes

Overview of Georgia Property Taxes

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Property taxes are levies that home, land, and property owners have to pay annually to their local governments. They are the primary source of revenue for many local governments across the United States. The amount of property taxes a homeowner pays the government increases with the property's value. The average home value in Georgia is $189,862, with the average tax bill sitting at $1,861. Homeowners subsequently pay $9.80 for every $1000 in home value. Georgia's property tax rate stands at 0.91%.

The state and its local governments collect a total of $73,079,167,000 in revenue. From that total, $12,143,152,000 is from property taxes. This means Georgia's property taxes make up 16.6% of the total revenue collected by the state. As a result, Georgia has the 27th highest property tax rate in the country. The rates are 7.9% less than the national average of 1.06%. In a nutshell, a state whose property taxes make up a big chunk of the total revenue indicates high property tax rates and vice versa.

If you own property in the Peach State, the amount of property taxes you pay depends on your property's assessed value. Each county has a property assessor who appraises every home within their jurisdiction to determine each property's market value. Once your home's market value has been determined, the assessor applies the Georgia assessment ratio. Almost all counties in the state of Georgia employ an assessment ratio of 40%. If your property has a market value of $100,000, then its assessed value would be $40,000. However, this depends on external factors like property type and the neighborhood. Some cities in Georgia apply a 50% assessment ratio. That said, homeowners in Georgia can appeal property taxes if their home has been wrongly assessed.

It is important to note that Georgia's property taxes vary greatly between locations. Some counties have a high median property tax payment compared to others. In Fulton County, for instance, the average property tax bill is $3,636, while Stewart county residents pay $620 on average. TaxProper has a more detailed breakdown of the property tax information for Georgia Counties.

If you are planning to buy a home in Georgia and want to understand how much your property tax bill could potentially cost, check out our Georgia Property Tax Tool to see what your bill would be.

Georgia Property Tax Due Dates

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When are property taxes due in Georgia? Typically, property taxes in Georgia are due by December 20th, although that can change across counties. For properties owned by January 1st of the current tax year, the tax is due between January 1st and April 1st. Homeowners are required to file their Georgia property taxes in the county where they have a legal residence.

The Georgia property tax due dates vary across counties. Some counties have an earlier deadline, while others require taxpayers to pay in two installments. For those whose property is located across more than one county, property taxes are to be paid to the county where most of the property is located. The county tax receiver is tasked with remitting the appropriate taxes to the other counties where the rest of the property is located. Homeowners who fail to pay the Georgia property taxes on the due date attract a 10% penalty on their property. This is usually 60 days from when the taxes are billed.

Failure to receive a tax bill doesn't relieve the homeowner of the responsibility of paying their property taxes. Residents are required to pay their Georgia property taxes in time to protect their property against seizure or tax sales. Use TaxProper's main search to find out how much you can save on your property taxes.

Georgia Property Tax Exemptions

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The State of Georgia offers exemption from property tax to eligible homeowners. These exemptions have saved many property owners hundreds of dollars' worth of Georgia property tax. Among the most common exemptions include the homestead exemption and senior exemption.

Georgia Homestead Exemption

Georgian homeowners are eligible for a homestead exemption on their homes. However, they have to legally own the house and use it as their primary residence as of January 1st of the taxable year. While owners must be occupying the home to qualify for this exemption, those living away from the homes for medical reasons can have a friend or family member inform the tax commissioner for the exemption to be granted. However, even those granted the homestead exemption are still subjected to Georgia's property tax due dates. To receive the exemption, you must apply by the date your Georgia property taxes are due. More information on homestead exemption can be found on the state of Georgia's Department of Revenue website.

Georgia Senior Citizens Exemption

Georgia provides an exemption from school tax for residents 62 years and older. To qualify, their annual family income has to be below $10,000. Eligible homeowners can potentially have up to $10,000 of their property value exempted from school tax. Also, residents who are over 62 years, and their annual family income doesn't exceed $30,000, can have part of their assessed home value exempted from county tax. The amount of assessed value exempted depends on how much the current year's assessed value surpasses the previous year. Georgia property taxes and exemptions vary between counties.

Other Exemptions

The State of Georgia offers other tax exemptions that include the line of duty exemption. An unmarried surviving spouse of a firefighter or police officer killed in the line of duty can have their home 100% exempt from Georgia property taxes. Citizens exempted from property tax include disabled veterans or their unmarried surviving spouses. More details on property tax exemption can be sought from the local tax assessor's office.

How to Appeal Your Property Taxes in Georgia

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Georgia's laws provide homeowners with an avenue to appeal their property assessment value. The County Board of Tax Assessors conducts property assessments in the Peach State. If you disagree with their assessment, you can appeal to the County Board of Equalization within 30- 45 days of receiving the assessment notice. Appeals can be filed on issues concerning the uniformity of assessment and denials of exemptions, among others.

Note that only the homeowner whose name and address appears on the assessment roll can file an appeal. However, the state allows you to appoint an authorized agent to file on your behalf.

Each county can have a different appeal process, but they generally follow the following steps:

1. Obtain your assessment
2. Determine if you are overassessed
3. Complete forms needed to appeal
4. File property tax appeal
5. Prepare for hearing
6. Attend hearing
7. Appeal the decision

If you own property in Georgia, you can use TaxProper to determine if you should appeal your property's assessed value and increase your chances of winning.

How to Appeal Your Property Taxes in Fulton County

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Here is a breakdown of the above steps in Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, to walk you through the property tax appeal process.

Obtain your assessment

Residents of Fulton County are assessed by the Fulton County Board of Assessors. Homeowners can therefore file their property tax appealsat the county level. Assessment forms can be obtained at the Fulton County Board of Assessors' offices or their website.

Determine if you are over-assessed

As a property owner in Fulton County, you have the right to appeal your property's assessed value if you have reasons to believe it doesn't fairly reflect the market value. You can check your assessment online. To determine if you are over-assessed, TaxProper's search tool will help you understand your property's market value.

Complete forms needed to appeal

Fulton County residents can find forms needed to appeal their property taxes at any of the five Fulton County Tax Assessor locations or on the Fulton Board of Assessors' website.

File property tax appeal

Fulton County residents, who believe their property's assessed value doesn't reflect a fair market value, can appeal to the Fulton Board of Assessors. You can appeal your appraisal value based on value, uniformity, exemption denial, taxability, and breach or denial of covenant. Appeal options include an appeal to the board of equalization, a hearing officer, or non-binding arbitration.  Remember to file your appeal before the deadline on your notice. If you fail to appeal before the deadline, you will lose the right to appeal altogether.

Prepare for hearing

In Fulton County, homeowners are required to prepare documents, testimonies, and other evidence supporting the ground for their appeal. Evidence includes photographs of the interior, exterior, and comparable property values in your area, among others. Evidence should show that the assessed value is higher than what a knowledgeable buyer would pay for the home.

Attend hearing

You are required to attend your property tax hearing in Fulton County or send a representative. If you fail to show up, the hearing proceeds without you. After that, you can only file again after a year. Meanwhile, you will be stuck with the current tax bill, however wrong it may be.

Appeal the decision

If the Board of Tax Assessors is unable to conclude, the appeal is forwarded to the Board of Equalization. It is still possible to appeal the decisions of the Board of Equalization to the Superior Court. You are required to file this appeal with the Board of Tax Assessors.

Property Tax Information for Georgia Counties

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The table below provides county-level information about how property taxes work in each Georgia county.

Want to learn more? Click the county links to learn more about a specific Georgia county.