Central Office of the DeKalb County Tax Commissioner at 4380 Memorial Drive in greater Decatur. Photo by Dean Hesse.
By Zoe Seiler
This year’s deadline to apply for a DeKalb County homestead exemption is April 1.
Homestead exemptions reduce annual property taxes and are available to those who own and occupy a home in the county, including the city of Atlanta portion in DeKalb. Special exemptions are also available for eligible seniors ages 62 and older, disabled residents, and disabled veterans, according to a press release.
Applications received after April 1 will be processed for the following year.
Homeowners applying for the first time must own and occupy the home as their primary residence as of Jan. 1, have all vehicles registered in the county, file income taxes from the property, and not have a homestead exemption anywhere else.
Homeowners are only required to apply once for a basic exemption. Once an exemption has been granted, it remains in place as long as the applicant continues to reside on the property or until a different exemption is applied for and received. Homeowners can check their exemption status by reviewing their property information at dekalbtax.org/property-information.
“Homestead exemptions provide significant savings for property owners who own and live at their primary residence,” says DeKalb County Tax Commissioner Irvin J. Johnson. “Homeowners who do not have an existing homestead exemption may contact my office or visit the office’s website to review their exemption status. While we encourage homeowners to apply online to avoid delays, basic and special exemptions can still be submitted by mail, in person or drop box before the April 1 deadline.”
According to the tax commissioner’s website, here are the county’s homestead exemptions:
– Basic homestead: an exemption a homeowner may claim against the taxable value of their home as long as they own and occupy the home as their primary residence on Jan. 1, 2023. There are no age or income requirements for this exemption.
– H9: homeowners who are age 70 and older qualify for this exemption. This exemption has a household income limit of $104,526 Federal Adjusted Gross. It exempts the applicant(s) from school taxes and maintains the exemption of $10,000 for county levies (except bonds).
Homeowners who are 65 years or older or 100% permanently disabled may be eligible for the following exemptions:
– H4 – This has a household income limit of $10,000 Georgia Net Income. This exempts the recipient(s) from all school taxes and increases the exemption to $14,000 for all county levies.
– H6 – This has a household income limit of $15,000 Georgia Net Income. It increases the exemption to $16,500 for school taxes and $14,000 for county levies.
– H8 – This has a household income limit of $16,000 Gross Income. It increases the exemption to $22,500 for school taxes and $14,000 for all county levies.
Homeowners who are age 62 or older or are 100% permanently disabled may be eligible for the following exemptions:
– H3 – This has a household income limit of $10,000 Georgia Net Income. Exempts the recipient(s) from all school taxes and maintains the exemption of $10,000 for county levies (except bonds).
– H7 – This exemption has a household income limit of $16,000 gross income. It reduces taxable value of property by $22,500 for school taxes and by $10,000 for county levies (except bonds).
The Georgia Net Income requirement is a formula provided by the Georgia Department of Revenue. For this year, up to $43,524 for an individual or $87,048 for joint applicants in Social Security and retirement benefits may be excluded when calculating Georgia Net Income, according to the tax commissioner’s website.
For more information about the exemptions, click here. To apply for a homestead exemption, click here.
Applicants applying online for special exemptions must have an existing homestead exemption on the primary residence to qualify. Additional requirements include copies of the previous year’s federal and state income tax returns, any Social Security Form 1099, proof of age and/or proof of 100 percent total and permanent disability. Age and income requirements must be met to qualify for all senior exemptions.
Homestead exemption applications may be submitted online by mail, drop box, or in person.
Homeowners interested in same-day walk-in service or an appointment are encouraged to use the Click2Skip scheduling program. To join the same-day waitlist, please visit https://dekalbtax.org/same-day-wait-list. To schedule an appointment in advance, visit https://dekalbtax.org/appointments, click the Property Tax button and select an available date. Appointments can also be scheduled by calling 404-298-4000.
Read the original story on Decaturish.com.
