Chattooga County property owners seeing major increases on their 2026 assessment notices should not assume their property tax bills will increase by the same percentage. The Chattooga County Board of Assessors says the Fair Market Value shown on an assessment notice is not the same as a final taxable value, and the assessment notice itself is not a tax bill. State law requires counties to maintain current Fair Market Values for property and provide annual assessment notices. However, several exemptions and tax-relief measures still have to be considered before final tax bills are calculated. For homeowners with homestead exemptions, those reductions can make a significant difference. Chattooga County voters approved two property tax measures in 2024. HB 877 allows qualifying homeowners to apply for a freeze on the taxable value of their homestead and up to five acres for county tax purposes. HB 581 provides a floating homestead exemption designed to limit increases in taxable value as property values rise. Homeowners who already have a homestead exemption receive that benefit automatically. Additional property tax relief will also be factored into 2026 bills, including state homestead tax relief and reductions resulting from local sales-tax revenue. Georgia property is generally assessed for taxation at 40% of Fair Market Value, with applicable exemptions affecting the amount ultimately subject to taxation. Another important part of the calculation is still unknown: the 2026…
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