Every year, the Hall County Tax Assessor sends out the Annual Notice of Assessment to all residential and commercial property owners. Many of these owners will file appeals against their assessments on one or all of three grounds, namely, value, taxability and equalization.

The median effective Hall County tax rate is at 0.80% of property value, as computed from the median property tax of $1,394 and median home value of $175,200. At this rate, Hall County is considered as one of the Georgia counties with the highest property taxes – 20^th by median property taxes and 65^th by median tax as a percentage of property value. The higher property taxes here can be partly attributed to the higher median property values in the county as against the rest of Georgia (i.e., $175,200 to $162,800 respectively).

Taxpayers will understandably balk at increases in their taxes especially when these apply on real and personal property. Such a tax-averse attitude will likely be observed when there are Fulton County property tax increases, which add to the yearly burden on top of other types of taxes.

The national drop in commercial property values may have partly contributed to the increase in commercial property tax appeals. This appears to be happening where the Fulton County property tax appeals are concerned.

One of the best ways to enjoy substantial Hall County property tax reduction is through property tax exemptions for senior citizens. Senior citizens/homeowners should take advantage of the generous property tax exemptions provided by the state, county, and city.

While the Fulton County property appraiser is only doing his job, namely, providing an objective appraisal of your property for taxation purpose, you have the right to question the results of his job. This is especially true when your annual notice of assessment shows an unusually high property valuation, which translates into high property taxes. 

Georgia taxpayers may believe that digital technology has resulted in greater accuracy in the gathering of data, calculating of property values, and sending out of Hall County tax assessment notices.  But this is not exactly so. While online filing including its software has provided both the tax authorities and taxpayers with more convenience, it has also increased the risks for inaccurate data. 

Many taxpayers think that the effective median Gwinnett County tax rate at 1% is the tax rate applied to the property’s assessed value. This is not so since the effective median tax rate is calculated by dividing the median property tax by the median home value ($1950/194,200). 

As a taxpayer, you have the right to file your Hall County tax appeal in case your property’s assessed value is too high, too low, or just right. But before filing your appeal, you must consider the impact of your decision on the county and its coffers including its ability to provide basic services to its constituents.

Aside from taking measures to reduce the appraised value or appealing the assessed value of your property, you can also enjoy substantial Gwinnett County property tax reduction via tax exemptions. At present, residents of Gwinnett County can choose from 14 property tax exemptions including regular homestead, disabled veteran, and senior citizens exemptions.