The 2008 Forsyth County assessment notices were mailed by the Forsyth County Tax Assessors Office on May 23, 2008. Tax notices are sent to inform property owners of the value the Board of Assessors has placed on property; property tax amounts will be based on these values. By law, the value indicated on the notice is an estimate of fair market value of the property.
Chief Appraiser Mary Kirkpatrick notes that in order to understand the notices, it is important to understand the tax process.
The 2008 tax value is based on sales that occurred between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2007. The date for tax assessment is January 1 of each year. The notices that taxpayers are currently receiving reflect the valuation of the property on January 1, 2008. Tax valuations may not see the full impact of any changing market trends until the 2009 tax digest.
The Forsyth County Tax Assessors Office has begun receiving inquiries as to how assessments can increase when reports indicate the housing market has slowed.
“While the housing market has definitely slowed, Forsyth County has held up better than most of the metro Atlanta area,” Kirkpatrick said. “Property values do not appear to be negatively impacted at this time.”
Forsyth County Real Estate Property Tax Estimator
Information about the Tax Assessors Office can be found by visiting their department page at www.forsythco.com. To review the sales in your area, visit the Tax Assessors Web site at http://www.qpublic.net/ga/forsyth/search.html. From this site, property records can be searched by name, address or parcel number. When searching by parcel number, there are three spaces between the map and parcel number (Example: 001 001).
Kirkpatrick recommends property owners review the data characteristics shown on their property record. “If you feel there are errors on your record or that your property is over-valued, please follow the directions on your notice and file a written appeal to the Tax Assessors office,” Kirkpatrick said.
Appeals must be made within 45 days of the receipt of an assessment notice. The directions for the appeal process are included on the notice.
Kirkpatrick notes that there is also some confusion as to whether assessments are frozen.
“The legislation that was passed in 2001 allows for an increase in homestead exemption equal to the amount of reassessment,” Kirkpatrick said. “This additional homestead applies only to the county and fire portion of the millage rate, and not to the school and state portion. This exemption offers some protection from reassessment.”
A taxpayer who has regular homestead exemption would see an increase of approximately $16.26 for each additional $1,000 increase in assessment.
Anyone over the age of 65 and who has filed for both regular homestead exemption and the school tax exemption will see very little increase in taxes. With the current millage rate, this person would see an increase of approximately seventy cents for each $1,000 increase in assessment.
When looking at the dollar amount of increase, taxpayers must use the 40% assessed value shown on the notice for calculations, as this is what the tax bill is based on.
To receive additional information, please call the Forsyth County Tax Assessors Office at 770.781.2106.
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