4. A Disabled
Veterans Exemption in an amount up to
$50,000 is available, however, is restricted to
certain types of very serious disabilities. You
should contact the Tax Office for details.
5. An
un-remarried surviving spouse, whose
spouse was a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, and
was killed or died as a result of any war or armed
conflict can apply for an exemption in an amount
up to $50,000. You should contact the Tax Office
for details.
Q: The website
does not show my name and address on the house I
recently purchased. Why?
A:
Ownership/Appraisal Data is based on the Tax Digest
Date of January 1. Any purchases of property after
January 1 will not display until the next Tax Digest
is posted in August.
Q:
What is a Tax
Return?
A: Taxpayers are required to file at least an
initial tax return for taxable property (both real
estate and personal property) owned on January 1 of
the tax year. In Bartow County the time for filing
returns is January 1 through April1. These returns
are filed with the Assessors office and forms are
available in that office, or you can go to our
online forms. The tax return is a listing of the
property owned by the taxpayer and the taxpayer’s
declaration of the value of the property. Once the
initial tax return is filed, the law provides for an
automatic renewal of that return each succeeding
year at the value finally determined for the
preceding year and the taxpayer is required to file
a new return only as additional property is
acquired, improvements are made to existing
property, or other changes occur. A new return,
filed during the return period, may also be made by
the taxpayer to declare a different value from the
existing value where the taxpayer is dissatisfied
with the current value placed on the property by the
Board of Assessors. This serves the purpose of
establishing the taxpayer’s appeal rights if the
declared value is changed again by the Board of
Assessors.
Q: Why must my
property be appraised?
A: State law governs
everything the Assessors do. Therefore, if the Board
of Assessors does not comply with state law
(48-5-343) the county governing authority will be
assessed costly penalties (48-5-345,346) if
assessments do not meet state regulations or fair
market value.
Q:
What is Fair Market Value?
A: Georgia law defines
fair market value as the amount a knowledgeable and
serious buyer would pay, and a willing seller would
accept for a property to complete a bonafide sale.
Fair Market Value is the appraised value of your
property by the Bartow County Board of Assessors.
Q: How is Fair Market Value determined?
A: The Board
of Assessors is required by law to consider those
factors a buyer and seller price. These include the
replacement costs, recent sales of similar
properties in the neighborhood, the properties
income producing capability, the properties zoning
and use, and any legal restrictions, which would
affect the potential use of the property.
Q: What is Assessed Value?
A: By Georgia law, a
property’s assessed value is set at 40% of fair
market value, as determined by the Board of
Assessors. Example: $100,000: Market Value $40,000:
Assessed Value The amount of tax you pay is based on
the assessed value of your property.
Q: What do I have to do if I agree with the value?
A: Nothing. By not responding to the notice,
according to Georgia law you have agreed that all
the information on the notice is correct.
Q: What if I don’t agree with the value placed on my
property? What can I do?
A: Property owners may file a Property Owner's
Return each year with the Tax Assessors Office
between Jan. 1 and April 1 and state the value
he/she believes to be the Fair Market Value as of
Jan. 1 of that year. Forms are available here. If
the assessors disagree with the owner’s returned
value, a Change of Assessment Notice will be mailed.
If the owner does not agree with the proposed value,
a written appeal may be filed with the Board of Tax
Assessors within 45 days from the date of the
notice. Click on the link for more information about
the Appeals process.
(The amount of tax is not a valid reason for
appeal.)
Q: What if I fail to appeal in 45 days?
A: If you do
not appeal your valuation within the appeal period,
you forfeit your right to appeal for that year.
After 45 day and there has been no appeal filed you
have accepted the value set by the Board of
Assessors, for that tax year. If necessary you can
file a real property return during the following
year, between January 1 and June 1.
Q: What is Arbitration?
A: If Arbitration is desired
it must be specified in the initial appeal letter.
The property owner and the board of assessors must
agree upon arbitrators and /or a referee. Each party
must pay for his or her own arbitrator and/or share
the cost of the referee. Only registered real estate
appraisers as classified by the GA Real Estate
Appraisers Board can serve as an arbitrator.
Q: Does an increase in my property value mean an
increase in my tax?
A: That depends on how much your
valuation increases and how much the millage rate is
adjusted for the current tax year. The amount of you
tax is determined by the combined budgets of each of
the governing authorities. A rate (called the
millage rate) is set by the governing authorities.
When this rate is applied to your assessed value
this will determine your share of tax revenue that
is needed for the operation of the governing
authorities.
Q: How is the millage rate (tax rate) determined?
A:
After the Assessors’ staff has completed their
review of current appraisals; we then turn the data
over to the Tax Commissioners office to add other
taxable property such as motor vehicles to the tax
digest. The Tax Commissioner and Assessors office
then balance all assessments and exemptions. After a
thorough review of the digest valuations and
exemptions has been completed, we then hand the tax
digest totals over to the “Governing Authorities”.
The “Governing Authorities” in turn determine the
tax rate (millage rate) for each of their respective
entities.
Example: Total Budget Net Tax digest Mill Rate
$4,250,000 / $536,874,984 = $7.92
In this example, $7.92 is the amount that will be
levied on every $1,000 of assessed value.
Q: How are my taxes figured?
A: Appraised Value
(determined by Assessors)
X 40% (assessment rate in
GA)
= Assessed Value
- Applicable local or State
Exemptions
- Governors Homestead Credit (if
applicable)
= Net assessment
X Millage Rate (tax
rate)
= Tax amount
