If you own and live in your home in Alpharetta, the Alpharetta homestead exemption can take thousands of dollars off your yearly property tax bill. You apply once through the Fulton County Board of Assessors, you must file by April 1 to get the break for the current year, and the exemption renews automatically after that. Seniors and disabled veterans qualify for much larger reductions on top of the basic exemption.
Who Qualifies
Georgia law defines a homestead as real property you owned and occupied as your permanent residence on January 1 of the tax year.1Justia. Georgia Code 48-5-40 – Definitions That date is strict. Close on an Alpharetta house on January 2 and you wait until the following tax year to claim the exemption.
The deed has to be recorded in Fulton County before you file. The home must actually be where you live — not a rental, not a second home, not a property you hold title to from somewhere else. Your driver’s license, voter registration, and vehicle registration should all show the same Alpharetta address.
For the senior tiers, you must have reached the required age (65 or 70, depending on the exemption) by January 1. Income-tested exemptions look at the combined adjusted gross income of you and your spouse, though retirement income and Social Security are often excluded up to the federal maximum benefit amount.
What You Can Claim
Because Alpharetta sits in Fulton County, three layers of exemption can stack: state, county, and city. Each reduces the taxable assessed value for a different portion of your bill.
The Basic Exemption
Every qualifying Georgia homeowner gets a state homestead exemption of up to $2,000 off assessed value.2Justia. Georgia Code 48-5-44 – Exemption of Homestead Occupied by Owner Fulton County’s basic exemption adds $30,000 off assessed value for county taxes and $2,000 off for school taxes.3Fulton County Board of Assessors. 2026 Homestead Exemption Guide No age or income test applies. If you own the home and live in it, you qualify.
Senior Exemptions
At 65, Fulton County adds a $50,000 exemption off county operations taxes plus a $10,000 exemption off county school taxes, and a separate 25% reduction in assessed value for school district taxes is available.3Fulton County Board of Assessors. 2026 Homestead Exemption Guide The City of Alpharetta adds a $25,000 reduction in assessed value on property with improvements, with no income limit.4City of Alpharetta. City of Alpharetta Senior Homestead Exemptions A state-level exemption of $4,000 from all county ad valorem taxes is available at 65 if combined household income doesn’t exceed $10,000, excluding retirement and Social Security income up to the federal maximum benefit.5Georgia Department of Revenue. Property Tax Homestead Exemptions
At 70, the county benefit grows to a 50% reduction in assessed value for county school taxes plus a full-value exemption on county operations and bonds for qualifying seniors.3Fulton County Board of Assessors. 2026 Homestead Exemption Guide The City of Alpharetta goes further still: a 100% reduction in assessed value on city taxes, provided the combined adjusted gross income of you and your spouse does not exceed $99,648 for the 2026 tax year.4City of Alpharetta. City of Alpharetta Senior Homestead Exemptions
Fulton County also offers a homestead freeze for seniors meeting certain income requirements. It locks in your prior year’s assessed value, so your county tax bill doesn’t climb when property values rise.3Fulton County Board of Assessors. 2026 Homestead Exemption Guide
Disabled Veteran Exemption
A qualifying disabled veteran who is a Georgia resident gets an exemption from all ad valorem taxes — state, county, city, and school — on an amount equal to the greater of $32,500 or the indexed maximum under federal law. For 2025 the indexed figure was $121,812, and it adjusts annually based on a rate set by the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Any home value above the exemption amount remains taxable. The exemption carries over to an unremarried surviving spouse or minor children as long as they continue living in the home.5Georgia Department of Revenue. Property Tax Homestead Exemptions
How to File
Applications must be submitted on or before April 1 to take effect for the current tax year. File after April 1 and your exemption kicks in the following year, costing you a full year of savings.6Fulton County Board of Assessors. Exemptions
You can apply online at fultonassessor.org or in person at any of the six Fulton County Board of Assessors offices.7Fulton County Georgia. Homestead Exemption Applications Due April 1 For Alpharetta residents, the closest location is the Fulton County Customer Service Center at 11575 Maxwell Road, Suite 1018, Alpharetta, GA 30009.8Fulton County Board of Assessors. Contact Us
Have these ready before you start:
- Social Security number for each owner on the deed.3Fulton County Board of Assessors. 2026 Homestead Exemption Guide
- A valid Georgia driver’s license or Georgia ID card showing your Alpharetta address.
- Vehicle registration for all vehicles owned by you and your spouse, showing the same address.6Fulton County Board of Assessors. Exemptions
- The recorded deed to the property.
- Your property’s parcel ID number, found on your prior tax bill or assessment notice.
For any senior or income-based exemption, bring your federal and state income tax returns to verify adjusted gross income. For a disability-based exemption, Fulton County provides a certificate that must be signed by a physician licensed to practice medicine in Georgia.6Fulton County Board of Assessors. Exemptions Disabled veterans should also bring Department of Veterans Affairs documentation confirming the service-connected disability rating.
After You’re Approved
Once approved, your homestead exemption renews automatically each year as long as you keep living in the home under the same ownership.9Georgia.gov. Apply for a Homestead Exemption No annual refiling.
You do have to notify the Fulton County Tax Commissioner if you no longer qualify, such as when you move out, start renting the home, or sell it. Claiming an exemption on a home that is no longer your primary residence can lead to back taxes, interest, and penalties. And when your circumstances change in your favor — you turn 65, for example — you apply for the enhanced exemption for the following tax year.
If Your Home Is in a Trust
A home titled in a revocable living trust can still qualify, as long as you are a beneficiary of the trust and actually live in the home. Submit the trust document along with an affidavit when you apply.6Fulton County Board of Assessors. Exemptions This trips up homeowners who moved a property into a trust for estate planning and assumed the existing exemption would follow. It doesn’t. You need to apply, or reapply, with the trust documentation.
If Your Assessment Looks Wrong
If the county overvalued your property or wrongly denied your exemption, Georgia law gives you 45 days from the date the county mails your notice of assessment to file a written appeal with the Fulton County Board of Tax Assessors.10Justia. Georgia Code 48-5-311 – Creation of County Boards of Equalization A letter identifying your property and explaining your disagreement is enough; a formal appeal form exists but isn’t required.
Once you file, the Board of Tax Assessors has 180 days to review and respond. If they don’t respond within that window, your asserted property value automatically becomes the assessed value for that tax year.10Justia. Georgia Code 48-5-311 – Creation of County Boards of Equalization If the board makes changes you still disagree with, you have 30 days to continue your appeal to the county Board of Equalization, which holds a hearing and issues a binding decision for that tax year.
For valuation appeals, come with comparable sales data, a recent independent appraisal, or evidence of property conditions that affect value. Appeals built on documentation win more often than appeals built on frustration with the bill.