Paulding County; school district ad valorem tax; provide homestead exemption

School tax relief for Paulding County homeowners

This law creates a school property tax exemption for homeowners who live in qualifying Paulding County school district homes. The law requires majority voter approval at the 2026 general primary before the exemption takes effect January 1, 2027. Without approval, or without the required vote, the exemption does not take effect and the act is automatically repealed. Paulding County pays the election costs. Starting with 2027 tax years, the exemption covers assessed home value above an adjusted base-year value. For exemptions first granted in 2027, the base is the home's 2024 assessed value, including final appeal results. For later first-time exemptions, the base is the assessed value from the preceding year. Annual increases to the adjusted base are capped using the prior year's inflation rate. Substantial property additions or removals also adjust the base, without counting the same improvement twice. The tax commissioner calculates inflation using the Georgia Department of Revenue's method. The exemption covers school taxes for education, but not school taxes for bonded debt. It does not reduce county, state, municipal, or independent school district taxes. You must apply through the county tax commissioner, who provides forms. Eligible homeowners with a homestead exemption on the same home in 2026 receive this exemption automatically in 2027. Once established, it renews automatically while you remain eligible and live there; you must report loss of eligibility. It does not transfer to new owners, but an unremarried surviving spouse who lives there can keep it. Other homestead exemptions remain available as allowed by law. You cannot combine competing school base-year exemptions; the commissioner applies the more beneficial one. Savings depend on your assessed values and the school tax rate, so this does not guarantee a lower total bill.