The following is taken from a letter that I recently received from the Tax Commissioners office about tax bills for real estate in Athens, GA. I thought it was worth sharing:
"Since 1999, the Georgia General Assembly and the Governor have provided a credit on homeowner's property tax bills called the Homeowner Tax Relief Grant (HTRG). However, state funding for the program was not approved for the 2009 property tax billing cycle and as a result has caused much confusion over the benefit of homestead exemption. Many citizens believe homestead exemption was eliminated when HTRG funding was not approved; but that was not the case.
The HTRG credit only applied to homesteaded properties, so it's easy to understand why people are confused. From 1999-2008, the State of Georgia paid part of the property tax bill for every homesteaded property in the state, by way of a credit to the property owner. The credit was reflected on the property tax bill and ultimately reduced the owner's out of pocket expense.
When revenue shortfalls hit the state government last year, the Governor and General Assembly needed to find ways to reduce costs of running the state government and HTRG was one of the casualties. This change did not eliminate the homestead exemption, as some think, but rather reduced its tax savings benefit. Homestead exemption in Athens-Clarke County still saves taxpayers over $330 annually in property taxes. When the program was funded, Athens-Clarke County homeowner's personal tax liability was reduced by an additional $265.
Homestead exemption is still one of the most fundamental ways to reduce a property tax bill, so encourage your clients to take advantage by filing their application before the March 1 deadline. The only document required when applying is a copy of the recorded deed. For Athens-Clarke County property owners, applications are accepted Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm in room 250 of the county courthouse on East Washington Street."
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