If you purchased a home last year, don't forget to file for the homestead exemption! You are entitled to a homestead tax exemption on your home as long as you owned the home and it was your legal residence as of January 1. You can file an application for homestead exemption with the tax commissioner’s office, or in some counties the tax assessor’s office. Some counties even offer online filing.

To receive the homestead exemption for the current tax year, you must have owned the property on January 1. Most counties have a due date of April 1, but some counties have a due date of March 1. Homestead applications that are filed after this date will not be granted until the next calendar year. Check your county tax commissioner website for information on filing if you have not received something in the mail. Georgia offers homestead exemptions to all qualifying homeowners. In some counties, they have increased the amounts of their homestead exemptions above the amounts offered by the State. As a general rule, the exemptions offered by the county are more beneficial.

As a service to our clients, The Ethridge Team mails out completed applications for the homestead exemption to all of our clients who bought homes as well as to all people who purchased one of our listings. If you or someone you know bought a home last year, make sure they know to file so they don't miss out on this great tax benefit. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me with any additional questions.