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DeKalb County, GA — DeKalb County voters will see a few referendums on the ballot this fall, including expansions of homestead tax exemptions. 

Voters will also see ballot measures on the equalized homestead option sales tax and special purpose local option sales tax. For more information about EHOST, click here. For more information about SPLOST, click here. 

To see a sample ballot for unincorporated DeKalb County voters, click here. To see the sample ballot including the municipal elections, click here. Early voting begins on Monday, Oct. 16, and Election Day is Nov. 7. 

The Georgia General Assembly passed three bills related to homestead exemptions in DeKalb County, which will be on the ballot in November.

Currently, homeowners who are 65 years or older or 100% permanently disabled may be eligible for a $16,500 exemption from school taxes and $14,000 exemption from county taxes and the household income limit is $15,000 Georgia Net Income. 

House Bills 591 and 594 increase the income cap to $37,500 for these exemptions. 

The Georgia Net Income requirement is a formula provided by the Georgia Department of Revenue. For this year, up to $43,524 for an individual or $87,048 for joint applicants in Social Security and retirement benefits may be excluded when calculating Georgia Net Income, according to the tax commissioner’s website.

Homeowners who are age 62 or older or are 100% permanently disabled may be eligible for a homestead exemption of about $20,000 for school taxes. 

Homeowners who are 65 years or older or 100% permanently disabled may be eligible for a $22,500 exemption from school taxes. The household income limit is $16,000 gross income.  

HB 593 raises the income cap to $40,000 for both of these exemptions. It also leaves in place the full exemption from school taxes for disabled individuals and seniors age 62 or older with a household income of about $10,000. 

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