What a homestead exemption is
Every year, Fulton County decides what your home is worth, and your property tax is figured from that number. A homestead exemption tells the county, “this is the home I live in” — and in return, the county leaves out part of your home's value when it does the math. Less value counted means a smaller tax bill, every year you live there.
Two things to know up front:
- It's only for your main home — the one you own and actually live in. Not a rental, not a second house.
- You usually file once. After it's approved, it renews on its own each year until you move, sell, or the home stops being your main residence. No re-filing every spring.
There's a basic homestead exemption almost every Fulton homeowner can get. On top of that, there are bigger breaks for seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and surviving spouses — all built on the same homestead base. We'll get to those near the end.
First, check whether you already have it
Before you fill anything out, see whether the exemption is already on your home. Most Fulton homeowners who live in their homes already have the basic one — often it was set up around the time they bought the house. If it's already there, you're done; there's nothing to re-file.
Here's how to check on the county's site:
- Go to fultonassessor.org.
- Click “Enhanced Property Search” on the right-hand side.
- Search by your name, your address, or your Parcel ID, and open your property.
- Look at the “Summary” section — your exemption status shows there.
See a homestead exemption listed? You're set. Don't see one — and you own and live in the home? Keep reading. (Our free exemption check does this lookup for you, and also flags the bigger breaks you might be missing.)
What you'll need
Have these ready before you start. For most people, it's just the first three.
- A valid Georgia driver's license or state ID. The county uses it to confirm the home is really where you live, so it helps if the address on it matches your home.
- Your Social Security number.
- Your Georgia car registrations — yours and your spouse's, if you're married.
If you're applying for a senior or other special exemption, also have:
- Your state and federal income tax returns, or
- A Social Security Award Letter, if you don't file income taxes.
And if your home is in a trust, you'll need a Trust Affidavit plus your trust papers. The affidavit is on fultonassessor.org under “Forms and Documents.”
How to file
Two ways, and both are free.
It's free to file with the county either way. No one can charge you to submit it, and you don't need a lawyer or a service to do it for you. Prefer paper? The county also accepts mailed applications — see fultonassessor.org/exemptions for the address and form.
Filing online, step by step
Have your documents ready (the list above), then work through these. It usually takes about ten minutes.
Open the filing portal
Go to fultonassessor.org/exemptions. Scroll to the very bottom and click “Homestead Exemption Online Filing Portal.”
Create an account and log in
Set up a login with your email, then sign in. Next year, if you ever need the portal again, you'll just log back into the same account.
Find “Homestead Exemption”
Under “Available Filings,” find “Homestead Exemption” and click “Begin Filing.”
Find your property
Search by your name, your Parcel ID, or your address. When your home comes up, click “Start Filing.”
Answer the questions and sign
Look over your property details and click “Next” (that page isn't editable — it's just for you to confirm). Answer the “Applicant Questions,” then the “Pre-Screening” questions. Sign and date in the “Signature” section.
Upload your documents
Add a copy of your driver's license and your car registrations. If you're applying for a senior or special exemption, also add your tax returns — or your Social Security Award Letter if you don't file taxes. Trust home? Add the Trust Affidavit and trust papers too.
Submit — and make sure it went through
You can print a draft first if you want a copy. Then click “Submit” — your application isn't filed until you do. Last step: open the “Message Center” in the portal and confirm your submission went through.
When to file
The deadline to have your exemption count for this year is April 1. File by then and you'll see it on this year's tax bill. File later and it normally starts the following year instead.
But there's a second window a lot of people don't know about, and it's worth knowing if you missed April 1.
A second window, after your assessment notice.
Each year the county mails you an Annual Notice of Assessment — usually around the middle of June — telling you what it thinks your home is worth. If you missed April 1, you get another chance: file within 45 days of the date on that notice and your homestead still counts for the current year, as long as you owned and lived in the home on or before January 1.
Fulton's Board of Assessors confirmed this second window applies to homestead filings — for the basic exemption and the senior and special ones too. So don't assume you've missed your chance: check the date on your notice first.
After you file
Once it's approved, the exemption shows up on your assessment notice and your tax bill — you'll see part of your home's value left out, and a smaller amount owed.
You don't have to re-apply every year. Homestead renews on its own and stays with you until you move, sell, or the home stops being your main residence. If your situation changes in a way that qualifies you for a bigger break — you turn 65, you're a veteran with a service-connected disability, you lose a spouse who served — that's a new, separate application. More on those next.
Can someone just file it for me?
Not really — and that's the law, not us being difficult. The homestead application is a sworn statement that this is the home you live in, so you have to sign it yourself. No one can do that part for you. The good news: once your documents are in hand, the form itself only takes a few minutes.
While you're at it — other breaks worth checking
The basic homestead exemption is the foundation. Built on top of it, Fulton offers larger breaks for:
- Homeowners 65 and older — with even bigger ones at 70, including newer Fulton school-tax breaks.
- Veterans with a service-connected disability.
- Surviving spouses of service members and first responders.
- Homeowners with lower incomes, who may qualify for added reductions or a value freeze.
Some of these are worth thousands of dollars a year. They aren't automatic — each one needs its own application, and the documents are a little different (that's where the tax returns or the Award Letter come in). Not sure which fit your home? Our free exemption check walks through a few questions and shows you what you might be missing.
One more thing it flags: whether your home looks over-valued. That's a different fix — an appeal, which challenges the county's value rather than your exemptions. If that might be you, our Fulton appeal guide walks through it.