How does Georgia assess property for taxes?

Georgia assesses real property at 40% of its fair market value statewide. So a $300,000 home has an assessed value of $120,000. The county mill rate is then applied to that assessed value, not the full market value.

A mill is one dollar of tax per $1,000 of assessed value. A combined mill rate of 30 means $30 of tax for every $1,000 of net assessed value. Georgia mill rates combine county, school district, and sometimes city levies.

What is the Georgia homestead exemption?

Owner-occupants of a primary residence can claim a homestead exemption that reduces the taxable assessed value. The standard statewide exemption is $2,000 off assessed value, but many counties offer much larger local exemptions, especially for seniors.

Why is my bill based on 40% of value?

Georgia law sets the assessment ratio at 40% of fair market value for most property. This keeps the headline mill rates higher than a system taxing 100% of value, but the effective rate on full market value is what actually matters for comparison.

How accurate is this estimate?

It is accurate if your fair market value, mill rate, and exemption are correct. Local floating exemptions, special assessment districts, and age- or income-based freezes can change the result, so confirm with your county tax commissioner.

Georgia Property Tax Estimator

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Georgia does not tax the full value of your home — it taxes 40 percent of it, then applies a mill rate. This estimator uses Georgia’s actual ad valorem method: 40% assessment, homestead exemption, and your county mill rate, to project your annual property tax bill.

How it works

Georgia’s property tax (ad valorem tax) follows three steps:

assessed value = fair market value × 40%
net assessed   = assessed value − homestead exemption
tax            = net assessed × (mill rate ÷ 1000)

The 40% assessment ratio is statewide. The mill rate combines county, school, and city levies; one mill equals one dollar of tax per 1,000 dollars of net assessed value. The homestead exemption for an owner-occupied primary home reduces the assessed value before the mill rate is applied — the standard statewide amount is 2,000 dollars, though many counties offer larger local exemptions.

Example

A 300,000 dollar home is assessed at 40% = 120,000 dollars. With a 2,000 dollar homestead exemption the net assessed value is 118,000 dollars. At a combined mill rate of 30, the tax is 118,000 × (30 ÷ 1000) = 3,540 dollars per year, an effective rate of about 1.18% of market value.

Notes

This estimate depends on accurate inputs. County floating exemptions, senior or disability freezes, special tax districts, and assessment appeals can change the final bill. Mill rates are set annually and vary widely between counties. Confirm your assessed value, exemptions, and mill rate with your county tax commissioner or the Georgia Department of Revenue.