New vendor causes error

This past week, thousands of Douglas County residents received tax bills that were higher than expected. According to WSBTV.com, the Douglas County Appraisal Department used a new vendor to send residents the new tax assessments.

The State of Georgia developed Homestead Exemptions to save Georgia homeowners two thousand dollars in property taxes each year. The report states that “The Douglas County appraiser said a software glitch” failed to calculate the homestead exemptions.

In total, fifteen thousand residents were affected out of the fifty-four thousand assessments mailed out by the new vendor.

Homestead Exemption

Residents must apply for the exemption in their local Tax Assessor’s office. Individuals must own and reside within the home by January 1st, to qualify.

*Once a homeowner qualifies, they do not need to reapply for the exemption as long as they continue to live in that home.

The Douglas County Tax Commissioner’s website states that an “application for homestead exemption may be submitted any time during the year, but must be received before April 1 of the taxable year to qualify for the exemption that year”.

If you believe that an error has been made in your tax assessment, you can visit the Douglas County Tax Commissioner’s office. The office is located at, 6200 Fairburn Rd. Douglasville, Georgia. Residents can also call 770.920.7272 or email [email protected]

*Disclaimer: The information regarding tax assessments and homestead exemption is for informational purposes only. The Douglas County Flash does not claim to have any professional knowledge regarding taxes and homestead exemptions. Readers must do their due diligence and find out information regarding their specific situation. We encourage residents to contact their local Tax Commissioner’s office to get accurate information.