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.
General Eligibility Requirements
For all homestead exemptions, the State of Georgia has two general eligibility requirements. First, you must be the legal owner of the real property being taxed. Second, you consider the real property (i.e., the house and its outlying structures like the shed, gazebo, and pool) as your primary residence. In both cases, you may be required to provide proof of ownership and residency as of January 1 of the current taxable year.
It must be emphasized that for purposes of benefiting from the Gwinnett County property tax reduction via homestead exemption, you and your legal spouse will be considered as a single family unit. This means that you can only claim a single homestead exemption.
Deadline for Filing
For all homestead exemptions, the deadline for filing applications is on April 1. If you fail to file your application on time, you may as well say goodbye to your Gwinnett County property tax reduction for the current taxable year.
Each type of homestead exemption has its specific eligibility requirements in terms of age, income and other restrictions. Be sure to read the requirements before filing for any property tax exemption to expedite its approval.
You are required to file an application for tax exemption only once unless there are necessary changes. These include changes in the ownership of the property, such as transfer of ownership; corrections in spelling on the deed; and desire to qualify for another type of exemption. You may be required to re-file for homestead exemption in case you want to delete or add a person’s name on the deed.
You will be required to file a homestead exemption just once for both the county and city levels when you reside within the city limits of Grayson, Dacula, Lawrenceville, Sugar Hill, or Snellville. With the county and city tax exemptions, your Gwinnett County property tax reduction will increase (i.e., your tax savings will increase).
Specific Exemption Requirements
Each of the 14 types of property tax exemptions has specific limits and, thus, limited Gwinnett County property tax reduction amounts. For example, the Regular Homestead Exemption (S1R) includes a $10,000 exemption off the county’s assessed values, $4,000 exemption off school, $2,000 off state, and $7,000 off recreation. The Senior School Exemption A (S4) has a total of $45,000 in exemptions (i.e., $10,000 off the county’s assessed value, $10,000 off county bond, $10,000 off each on school and school bond, $4,000 off state, and $7,000 off recreation.
You should contact the Gwinnett County Tax Assessor’s Office for more information about the specific eligibility requirements for the 14 types of property tax exemptions. The Tax Assessor’s Office is also responsible for determining the eligibility of applicants and for processing applications for specialized assessments including conservation use.
Your diligence in researching about and applying for these tax exemptions will result in a substantial Gwinnett County property tax reduction.
