As a Georgia homeowner, a homestead exemption gives you tax breaks on what you pay for in property taxes.

One of the many benefits of being a Georgia homeowner is your homestead exemption.

Homestead exemption is a tax break that exempts some of the value of a homeowner’s property. If you purchased your home in 2018, you’re now eligible for homestead exemption. Keep in mind that there are several different kinds of homestead exemptions based on:

• Ownership
• Occupancy
• Age
• Income
• Disability
• Military service
• Marital status (surviving spouse)

Check your county website to verify. Also, if you’ve applied for homestead exemption previously and your age, income, etc. has changed, you might be eligible for a different exemption.

Homestead applications filed after April 1st will not not be granted until the next calendar year.

What does a homestead exemption do?

It lowers the taxable value of your home.

What kind of savings are we talking about?

It depends upon the type of exemption, but in one example if your home is valued at $200,000, then the assessed value is $100,000, or 50% of the appraised value; with a $20,000 homestead exemption, you only pay taxes on $80,000. For more in-depth facts on this exemption, visit georgia.gov.

Up until recently, you had to apply in person for this benefit. Now, many counties allow you to apply online.

Information for every county in the State of Georgia can be found at http://dor.georgia.gov/property-tax-exemptions. Below you’ll find contact info, links and deadlines for counties in our area.

Thank you again for choosing HomeChatr for your real estate needs and, as always, feel free to contact us anytime at 404-994-4560, 1447 Peachtree St NE #700 Atlanta, GA 30309 or email me at info@homechatr.com.