Property Taxes In Georgia

Updated August 7, 2026

16 min read

Property tax is usually the largest single line item on a Georgia rental property's operating statement, and it is the one an owner has the least direct control over. For a management company, the practical questions are narrow: how the county arrives at the number, which exemptions your owners do and do not qualify for, when payment is due, and what the appeal window looks like if an assessment comes in high.

This guide covers those mechanics for Georgia, sourced to the state's own statutes and to county assessor and treasurer offices. Rates and dollar thresholds change; the citations stay put, so you can confirm the current figure before advising an owner.

How Property Is Assessed

Georgia property tax is administered at the county level. The county board of tax assessors determines fair market value, and the assessed value used for billing is 40 percent of that fair market value unless a different treatment is specified by law. The State Revenue Commissioner reviews county digests to check that assessments are uniform and equal. Ownership and value are fixed as of January 1 each year, and tax bills show both the fair market value and the assessed value.

Taxable tangible property in Georgia is assessed at 40 percent of its fair market value unless otherwise specified by law, and is taxed on a levy made by each taxing jurisdiction against that 40 percent assessed value. (O.C.G.A. § 48-5-7)
Fair market value is defined by statute as the amount a knowledgeable buyer would pay and a willing seller would accept in an arm's length, bona fide sale. (O.C.G.A. § 48-5-2)
Property is assessed at the county level by the county Board of Tax Assessors, and the State Revenue Commissioner examines county digests to ensure uniform and equal assessment across the state. (Georgia Department of Revenue, Property Tax Valuation)
Property taxes are charged against the owner and value as of January 1 each year, and property tax returns must be filed between January 1 and April 1 with the county tax commissioner or the county board of tax assessors. (Georgia Department of Revenue, Property Tax Valuation)
Under House Bill 581, parcels are required to be appraised at least once every three years. (HB 581 (2024), House Budget and Research Office policy brief)
Tax bills issued by counties show both the fair market value and the assessed value of the property. (Georgia Department of Revenue, Property Tax Valuation)

How The Tax Is Calculated

The Georgia calculation is fair market value multiplied by 40 percent to get assessed value, minus any exemptions the owner qualifies for, multiplied by the combined millage rate of the county, school district, and city. Certain agricultural property is assessed differently. Since 2025, a statewide floating homestead exemption caps annual assessment growth on homesteaded property at the rate of inflation, but only where the local government did not opt out and only for homesteads.

Assessed value equals 40 percent of fair market value, and the tax is a levy by each taxing jurisdiction against that 40 percent assessed value. (O.C.G.A. § 48-5-7)
Bona fide agricultural property may be assessed at 75 percent of the assessment of other property, which produces an assessment of 30 percent of fair market value rather than 40 percent. (O.C.G.A. § 48-5-7)
Bona fide agricultural property may instead be assessed at its current use value rather than fair market value, provided the property is maintained in current use for a period of ten years. (O.C.G.A. § 48-5-7)
House Bill 581 provides a statewide floating homestead exemption that limits annual assessment increases on a homesteaded property to the rate of inflation. The base year assessed value was initially set at the 2024 value of the home and resets whenever the home is sold or receives a substantial property change. Any increase above the inflation rate is offset by the exemption. (HB 581 (2024))
The inflation rate used for the floating homestead exemption is based on the consumer price index and is set annually by the Georgia Department of Revenue. No Inflation Index Rate was provided for the 2025 digest year, and the first year an Inflation Index Rate is published is the 2026 digest year. (HB 581 (2024); Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 560-11-2-.32)

Tax Rates And Who Sets Them

Georgia has no single statewide property tax rate. The rate, expressed as a millage rate, is set each year by local levying authorities: the county governing authority, the county board of education, and municipal governing authorities. State law requires each authority to compute a rollback millage rate that would produce the same revenue on the new digest that last year's rate produced before reassessments. Setting a rate above the rollback rate triggers advertising and public hearing requirements.

Millage rates are established by local levying authorities, including county governing authorities, school boards, and municipal governing authorities. (Georgia Property Taxpayer's Bill of Rights)
Georgia law requires that a rollback millage rate be computed that will produce the same total revenue on the current year's new digest that last year's millage rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred. (O.C.G.A. § 48-5-32.1)
A levying authority that adopts a millage rate above the rollback rate must hold three public hearings on the proposed increase, publish notices in a newspaper one week before each hearing, schedule at least one hearing to begin between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., and issue press releases explaining the intended increase. (O.C.G.A. § 48-5-32.1)
Millage rates are finalized under O.C.G.A. § 48-5-32, and the budget hearing requirement is set by O.C.G.A. § 36-81-5. (O.C.G.A. §§ 48-5-32, 36-81-5)

Exemptions And What Rentals Do Not Get

Georgia's homestead exemptions require the owner to both own and actually occupy the property as a legal residence as of January 1. That single requirement disqualifies rental and investment property from every homestead based exemption, including the standard $2,000 exemption, the senior and income based exemptions, the disabled veteran exemption, and the HB 581 floating homestead cap. The exemptions that can reach investor owned land are the agricultural and current use provisions, which carry their own covenants.

To qualify for a homestead exemption a person must actually occupy the home and the home must be their legal residence, and the owner must own the property as of January 1 of the taxable year. Rental and non owner occupied investment property therefore does not qualify for any homestead exemption. (O.C.G.A. § 48-5-40)
The standard state homestead exemption is a $2,000 deduction from the assessed value for county and school taxes. (O.C.G.A. § 48-5-44)
Homeowners age 65 or older may receive a $4,000 exemption from all county property taxes if household income does not exceed $10,000, and homeowners age 62 or older may receive an additional school tax exemption not exceeding $10,000 of assessed value under the same income limit. (O.C.G.A. §§ 48-5-47, 48-5-52)
The disabled veteran homestead exemption is $121,812 for 2025, and the exemption for a surviving spouse of a service member is also $121,812 for 2025 against county, municipal, and school taxes. (O.C.G.A. §§ 48-5-48, 48-5-52.1)
A homestead exemption for a surviving spouse of a peace officer or firefighter killed in the line of duty exempts the full value of the property. (O.C.G.A. § 48-5-48.4)
Homestead exemption applications must be filed by April 1, the same deadline as the property tax return, and applicants may also apply during the 45 day appeal window following an assessment notice. (Georgia Department of Revenue, Property Tax Homestead Exemptions)

This is the part worth being precise about with owners. Most of the headline Georgia exemptions are tied to the property being someone's primary residence, which means a tenant-occupied rental does not qualify. Promising an owner a homestead benefit that their investment property cannot receive is an easy way to lose trust, so check the occupancy condition before it comes up in a conversation.

Payment Deadlines And Penalties

Georgia property tax bills are issued by the county tax commissioner. Most counties set the due date at December 20, but local law can move it to December 1 or November 15 or authorize installment billing, so a portfolio spread across counties will have different due dates. Every taxpayer gets 60 days from the postmark of the bill before interest starts. Interest then runs at the Federal Reserve prime rate plus 3 percent per year, and penalties can be added on top.

Property taxes are normally due December 20 in most counties, but some counties have a different due date, and each taxpayer has 60 days from the billing date to pay. (Georgia Department of Revenue, Property Tax Real and Personal Property FAQ)
Local authorities may set the ad valorem payment deadline at December 20, December 1, or November 15, or may implement installment billing. (Georgia Department of Revenue, County Property Tax Facts)
Each taxpayer is afforded 60 days from the date of postmark of the tax bill to make full payment before interest accrues, and in addition to interest, delinquent taxes may accrue penalties on unpaid balances. (Georgia Department of Revenue, County Property Tax Facts)
Interest accruing on past due taxes beginning July 1, 2016 accrues at an annual rate equal to the Federal Reserve prime rate plus 3 percent. (O.C.G.A. § 48-2-40)
County and county school ad valorem taxes are collected by the county tax commissioner, while municipal ad valorem taxes are collected by the city. (Georgia Department of Revenue, County Property Tax Facts)

Appealing An Assessment

A Georgia owner who disagrees with the value on the annual notice of assessment has 45 days from the mailing date to file a written appeal with the county board of tax assessors. The owner must choose one of three routes: the county board of equalization, a hearing officer, or binding arbitration. Grounds include taxability, value, uniformity of assessment, and denial of an exemption. The Department of Revenue publishes a uniform appeal form.

Property owners have 45 days from the mailing date of the annual Assessment Notice to file a written appeal with the county Board of Tax Assessors. (O.C.G.A. § 48-5-311)
A taxpayer who disagrees with the assessed value may file an appeal to the county board of equalization, to a hearing officer, or to arbitration, and must select one of the three methods. (O.C.G.A. § 48-5-311)
The grounds that may be appealed are taxability, value, uniformity, and denial of an exemption. (O.C.G.A. § 48-5-311)
A uniform property tax appeal form is provided by the Georgia Department of Revenue for use in all counties. (Georgia Department of Revenue, Property Tax Real and Personal Property FAQ)
Under HB 581, property values may only receive a three year value lock if the value is reduced upon appeal, replacing the prior rule under which values could be frozen for three years if the value was reduced or remained the same when appealed. (HB 581 (2024))

What Happens If Taxes Go Unpaid

Unpaid Georgia property taxes become a lien recorded on the county general execution docket, and the county can levy on the property and sell it at a public tax sale, typically on the first Tuesday of the month at the courthouse after four weeks of newspaper advertising. The purchaser receives only defeasible title. The owner and anyone with a vested interest have a right of redemption for 12 months after the sale, and that right continues until it is formally foreclosed by notice. Redemption requires repayment plus a statutory premium.

Tax liens are filed in the county clerk's office on the general execution docket. (Georgia Department of Revenue, Property Tax Real and Personal Property FAQ)
Tax sales are held on the first Tuesday of the month at the county courthouse, and properties are advertised in a newspaper for four weeks before the sale showing the owner's name, a description of the property, and the amount of tax due. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office, Tax Sales; Athens-Clarke County Tax Commissioner, Tax Sales)
Owners and other parties that had a vested interest in property sold at a tax sale have a right of redemption. Redemption must take place within 12 months of the date of the sale, or at any time after the sale until the right to redeem is foreclosed. (Athens-Clarke County Tax Commissioner, Right of Redemption)
For property purchased by the county at a tax sale after July 1, 2002, the redemption price is the amount on the tax deed plus taxes paid by the purchaser and special assessments, plus a premium of 20 percent for the first year or fraction of a year and 10 percent for each year after, plus sheriff and publication costs if redemption occurs more than 30 days after the notice. (O.C.G.A. § 48-4-45)
After 12 months from the date of the sale, the purchaser can forever bar redemption of the property by having a notice of foreclosure of the right to redeem served as required by law. (O.C.G.A. § 48-4-45)
A sheriff's tax deed conveys only defeasible title. To obtain full ownership the purchaser must foreclose or bar the right to redeem, or allow the title to ripen by prescription under state law. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office, Tax Sales)
Excess funds from a tax sale that remain unclaimed five years after the tax sale date are paid to the State of Georgia. (Athens-Clarke County Tax Commissioner, Excess Funds)

What Is Different For Rental Property

In Georgia the practical dividing line is occupancy. Every homestead exemption, and the HB 581 inflation cap on assessment growth, requires the owner to occupy the property as a legal residence, so a rental unit is assessed and billed on full 40 percent of fair market value with no cap on year over year growth. Investors and managers should expect the assessment notice, not the tax bill, to be the moment to act, since the 45 day appeal clock runs from the notice.

Homestead exemptions require the owner to actually occupy the home as a legal residence, so non owner occupied rental property receives no homestead exemption of any kind. (O.C.G.A. § 48-5-40)
The HB 581 statewide floating exemption limits annual assessment increases only on a homesteaded property, so a rental property's assessment is not shielded by the inflation cap. (HB 581 (2024))
Property tax returns must be filed between January 1 and April 1 of each year with the county tax commissioner or the board of tax assessors, which is also the deadline window for claiming preferential or current use assessment. (Georgia Department of Revenue, County Property Tax Facts)
Because due dates vary by county between November 15, December 1, and December 20, and some counties bill in installments, an owner holding rentals in multiple Georgia counties faces multiple different payment calendars. (Georgia Department of Revenue, County Property Tax Facts)
Non homestead property that is sold at tax sale is subject to the same 12 month redemption and foreclosure of the right to redeem process, so an investor buying at a Georgia tax sale receives only defeasible title until redemption is barred. (O.C.G.A. § 48-4-45)

Recent Changes Worth Tracking

Effective Tax year 2025: House Bill 581 was passed by the Georgia General Assembly on March 28, 2024 and signed by the Governor on April 18, 2024, and the constitutional amendment enabling it, HR 1022, was ratified by voters at the November 5, 2024 general election. It created a statewide floating homestead exemption limiting annual assessment increases on homesteaded property to the rate of inflation, with a 2024 base year value that resets on sale or substantial property change. (HB 581 (2024); HR 1022 (2024))
Effective Opt out deadline March 1, 2025: Local governments could opt out of participating in the statewide floating homestead exemption by passing a resolution and holding three public hearings. Counties, consolidated governments, municipalities, and school districts that did not opt out grant the exemption to each resident homestead. (HB 581 (2024))
Effective Tax year 2025: HB 581 requires parcels to be appraised at least once every three years, and changed the assessment notice so that the estimate of the current year's tax is based on the current year's estimated rollback rate rather than the previous year's millage rate. A disclaimer about the rollback rate is required only if the rollback rate is not met. (HB 581 (2024))
Effective 2025, subject to local referendum: HB 581 authorized an optional 1 percent floating local option sales and use tax for eligible counties and municipalities, usable only for property tax relief, requiring voter approval by referendum, an intergovernmental agreement on distribution, and an ad valorem property tax exemption such as the floating homestead exemption. The tax may be levied for up to five years with renewal requiring a local act of the General Assembly. (HB 581 (2024))
Effective First inflation index rate published for the 2026 digest year: The Georgia Department of Revenue adopted Rule 560-11-2-.32 establishing a standardized method for the annual inflationary index rate used with the floating homestead exemption. No Inflation Index Rate was provided for the 2025 digest year, and the first published rate applies to the 2026 digest year. (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 560-11-2-.32)

Property tax is only one of the taxes touching a managed portfolio. See our guide to Georgia property management taxes for the income and reporting side.

Working This Into Your Operations

The two dates that matter operationally are the assessment notice and the appeal deadline. Assessment notices arrive on a predictable schedule, the appeal window is short and unforgiving, and an owner who misses it waits a full cycle. Put both on the calendar per county, escrow for the bill rather than treating it as a surprise, and flag unusual valuation jumps to owners while there is still time to act on them.

This guide is a starting point for professional managers, not tax or legal advice. For a specific assessment, appeal, or delinquency, work with a Georgia property tax professional, and confirm current figures with the county assessor or the Georgia Department of Revenue.