Homeowners who disagree with the initial assessment of their property’s value as calculated by the Fulton County Tax Assessor have only a few days remaining to file an appeal. The deadline for appeals is Monday, July 24 unless a different date is specifically noted on the Property Assessment Notice that you recently received.
Fulton County prefers that homeowners file their appeals online at
https://fultonassessor.org/property-appeals. Forms and required documentation can also be mailed or taken in person to the Fulton County Board of Assessors at 235 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 1200, Atlanta, GA 30303.
According to Fulton County, common grounds for appeals are value (the stated monetary figure does not represent fair market value), taxability (a property is tax exempt, such as if its owned by a non-profit), and exemptions.
Regarding exemptions, it is important to note that the projected municipal tax reflected on the Property Assessment Notices issued by Fulton County do not take into account the variety of homestead property tax exemptions provided by the City of Alpharetta that significantly reduce the amount of city property tax you pay. Those exemption save Alpharetta homeowners over $6.7 million annually, so the difference between what is reflected on the County’s assessment notice and what you would actually end up paying in municipal property tax can be significant.
Too, since 2020, Alpharetta homeowners who have a homestead exemption on their property also enjoy a floating homestead exemption that caps how much your property tax can increase from one year to the next, regardless of how much the assessed value of your property increases. The floating exemption caps the annual growth in the taxable value of your home at the lower of 3% or the consumer price index (CPI) for that year. The impact of that cap is also not reflected on the assessment notices.
So, the number that you need to pay attention to on the Property Assessment Notice that you received from Fulton County is the initial assessment of your property’s value as calculated by the Fulton County Tax Assessor. If you believe that number is not reflective of the real estate market in and around your neighborhood, you should consider filing an appeal before the July 24 deadline.