This story has been updated. 

By Logan C. Ritchie, contributor 

DeKalb County, GA — Homeowners are on the lookout for DeKalb County tax bills arriving in the mail this month. Digital bills may be requested by individuals.    

Property taxes are set by the county’s millage rate and the fair market value determined by the county’s appraisal department, which is voted upon by government officials. The assessment valuation is 40%.

While DeKalb County commissioners voted to keep the same millage rate for another year, some homeowners could see an increase in taxes due to rising property assessments. 

Homestead exemptions are available to help reduce taxes, according to DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond. 

“DeKalb County is the only county in Georgia with a local sales tax that is 100 percent dedicated to property tax relief,” said Thurmond. 

Thurmond is referring to EHOST, or Equalized Homestead Option Sales Tax, a tax relief strategy for homeowners. For those unfamiliar with how to file for an exemption through the county, DeKalb is hosting a virtual town hall on Aug. 11 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The event requires registration here. 

The town hall meeting will cover tax assessment, exemption, millage rate, how to appeal property taxes and more. Tax breaks for seniors, veterans and disabled residents will also be discussed. 

The panel includes DeKalb County District 7 Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, DeKalb County Tax Commissioner Irvin Johnson and DeKalb County Tax Assessor Calvin Hicks.  

Other tax relief strategies apply to special groups, like seniors and veterans. A list of exemptions can be found here.  

To qualify for EHOST, an applicant’s property must be the primary, legal residence listed on federal and state income taxes, vehicle registration and voter registration.  

On average, the EHOST credit will generate a tax reduction of $1,230 for qualified homes valued at $325,000. It has generated more than $454 million in tax relief for DeKalb property owners since 2018. In 2022 alone, EHOST will provide $137 million in property tax relief for those with homestead exemptions.  

The current-year EHOST tax relief is shown on property owners’ 2022 DeKalb County Real Property Tax Statement. It is not applied against taxes levied by DeKalb municipalities, school districts or tax allocation districts.

For example, Tucker City Council voted to roll back its millage rate from .900 to .848 on June 28. The city introduced a referendum to take over from DeKalb County roadway maintenance, traffic services, transportation services and stormwater. The referendum will be the Nov. 8 ballot. If Tucker residents vote to approve the referendum, the millage rate could jump to 3 mills to cover the services, which are anticipated to start in July 2024. 

Millage rates in Avondale Estates, Clarkston and Stone Mountain remain the same for now. 

Correction: An earlier version of this story contained incorrect information about digital billing. This story has been updated with the correct information.

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