Tax + closing estimator
What will the tax be, and in which jurisdiction?
Enter a value and pick where the home sits. The estimate uses each government’s adopted tax-year-2025 millage (the latest year final for all four) and the homestead exemptions you can file for, then adds Georgia’s two closing taxes.
The rates and exemptions this estimator uses
City of Alpharetta (Fulton County)
- City of Alpharetta, operations 5.03 mills · $45,000 homestead exemption off assessed value Georgia DOR 2025 digest, tax year 2025
- City of Alpharetta, bonds 0.72 mills Georgia DOR 2025 digest, tax year 2025
- Fulton County, operations 8.87 mills · $30,000 homestead exemption off assessed value Georgia DOR 2025 digest, tax year 2025
- Fulton County, bonds 0.169 mills Georgia DOR 2025 digest, tax year 2025
- Fulton County Schools 17.08 mills · $2,000 homestead exemption off assessed value Georgia DOR 2025 digest, tax year 2025
Alpharetta’s $45,000 city homestead exemption does not apply to the city bond levy (City of Alpharetta).
City of Milton (Fulton County)
- City of Milton, operations 4.193 mills · $15,000 homestead exemption off assessed value Georgia DOR 2025 digest, tax year 2025
- City of Milton, bonds 0.31 mills Georgia DOR 2025 digest, tax year 2025
- Fulton County, operations 8.87 mills · $30,000 homestead exemption off assessed value Georgia DOR 2025 digest, tax year 2025
- Fulton County, bonds 0.169 mills Georgia DOR 2025 digest, tax year 2025
- Fulton County Schools 17.08 mills · $2,000 homestead exemption off assessed value Georgia DOR 2025 digest, tax year 2025
Milton’s $15,000 basic exemption applies to city operations (City of Milton).
City of Johns Creek (Fulton County)
- City of Johns Creek, operations 3.492 mills · $15,000 homestead exemption off assessed value Georgia DOR 2025 digest, tax year 2025
- City of Johns Creek, bonds 0.25 mills Georgia DOR 2025 digest, tax year 2025
- Fulton County, operations 8.87 mills · $30,000 homestead exemption off assessed value Georgia DOR 2025 digest, tax year 2025
- Fulton County, bonds 0.169 mills Georgia DOR 2025 digest, tax year 2025
- Fulton County Schools 17.08 mills · $2,000 homestead exemption off assessed value Georgia DOR 2025 digest, tax year 2025
We apply Johns Creek’s $15,000 basic exemption to the operating levy only, which may slightly overstate the bill.
Unincorporated Forsyth County (Alpharetta address)
- Forsyth County, operations 4.791 mills · $8,000 homestead exemption off assessed value Forsyth County, tax year 2025
- Forsyth County fire district 2.805 mills · $8,000 homestead exemption off assessed value Forsyth County, tax year 2025
- Forsyth County, bonds 0.3 mills Forsyth County, tax year 2025
- Forsyth County Schools 16.626 mills · $2,000 homestead exemption off assessed value Forsyth County, tax year 2025
Forsyth’s $8,000 exemption applies to county operations and fire; schools get $2,000 (Forsyth County Board of Assessors).
| Where the home sits | Yearly tax, no homestead | With homestead exemptions |
|---|---|---|
| City of Alpharetta | $19,121 | $18,595 |
| City of Milton | $18,373 | $18,010 |
| City of Johns Creek | $17,917 | $17,564 |
| South Forsyth | $14,713 | $14,619 |
Assessment at 40% of fair market value, the transfer tax and the intangible recording tax are set by Georgia law: Georgia DOR: transfer tax Georgia DOR: intangible recording tax Georgia DOR: assessment
How Georgia property tax is figured
The rules the estimator applies
- Georgia assesses property at 40% of fair market value unless the law provides otherwise (O.C.G.A. 48-5-7), and property tax is calculated on that assessed value. Georgia Department of Revenue: Property Tax Valuation, checked 2026-10-19
- Georgia has had no state property tax levy since January 1, 2016. The state rate in 2015 was 0.05 mills. Georgia Department of Revenue: Property Tax Millage Rates, checked 2026-10-19
- In Georgia you may apply for a homestead exemption any time after the home becomes your primary residence, up to April 1 of the first year you want it. Not applying counts as waiving the exemption. Georgia Department of Revenue: County Property Tax Facts (Fulton; Forsyth), checked 2026-10-19
- To appeal the value on a Georgia annual assessment notice, send the appeal to the county board of tax assessors postmarked no later than 45 days from the notice's mailing date. Georgia Department of Revenue: County Property Tax Facts (Fulton; Forsyth), checked 2026-10-19
Your bill is assessed value, minus any exemptions you qualify for, times the millage of each government that taxes the parcel. One mill is one dollar per thousand dollars of assessed value. The county assessor sets the value each year and mails an assessment notice; the governments set the millage each summer.
The two Georgia closing taxes
Set by state law
- Georgia's real estate transfer tax is $1 for the first $1,000 of the sale price plus 10 cents for each additional $100 or part of $100, which works out to $1 per $1,000. It must be paid before the deed can be recorded (O.C.G.A. 48-6-1 to 48-6-10). Georgia Department of Revenue: Real Estate Transfer Tax, checked 2026-10-19
- Georgia's Department of Revenue says the seller is liable for the transfer tax, though sales contracts often have the buyer pay it. Georgia Department of Revenue: Real Estate Transfer Tax, checked 2026-10-19
- Georgia's intangible recording tax on a long-term note secured by real estate is $1.50 per $500 (or part of $500) of the note's face amount, up to $25,000 per note. The lender may pass the tax on to the borrower. Georgia Department of Revenue: Intangible Recording Tax, checked 2026-10-19
| Price | Transfer tax on the deed | Loan (80% of price) | Intangible tax on the loan |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000,000 | $1,000 | $800,000 | $2,400 |
| $1,500,000 | $1,500 | $1,200,000 | $3,600 |
| $2,500,000 | $2,500 | $2,000,000 | $6,000 |
| $4,000,000 | $4,000 | $3,200,000 | $9,600 |
What the estimator leaves out
- Floating homestead exemptions that freeze or cap the assessed value after you file: they lower future bills, but depend on the base year, so we do not model them.
- Special-district charges, solid waste or stormwater fees that appear on some bills.
- The value the assessor will actually set, which can differ from your price.
Questions buyers ask
What is the property tax rate in Alpharetta?
For tax year 2025 a home in the City of Alpharetta paid 31.869 mills before exemptions: 5.750 city, 9.039 Fulton County and 17.080 Fulton County Schools, on 40% of fair market value.
Source: Computed from the Georgia DOR 2025 digest millage rates
Which has the lowest property tax: Alpharetta, Milton, Johns Creek or south Forsyth?
On 2025 rates before exemptions, unincorporated south Forsyth had the lowest combined millage (24.522), then Johns Creek (29.861), Milton (30.622) and Alpharetta (31.869). Exemptions change the final bill.
Source: Forsyth County: 'Forsyth County Commission Adopts Millage Rates' (Aug. 8, 2025)
When is the homestead exemption deadline?
April 1. In Georgia you can apply any time after the home becomes your primary residence, up to April 1 of the first year you want the exemption.
Source: Georgia Department of Revenue: County Property Tax Facts (Fulton; Forsyth)
How much is Alpharetta’s homestead exemption?
The City of Alpharetta’s basic homestead exemption takes $45,000 off assessed value for city taxes, though not for the city’s bond levy. Fulton County and the school district grant their own.
Source: City of Alpharetta: Homestead Exemptions (last modified May 27, 2026)
How much is the Johns Creek homestead exemption?
The City of Johns Creek’s basic homestead exemption takes $15,000 off assessed value with no age or income requirement; seniors get more.
How much is the Milton homestead exemption?
Milton’s basic homestead exemption takes $15,000 off assessed value for city operations, with a floating exemption that caps base-year growth.
Source: City of Milton: Property Taxes (2025 Milton Property Tax Guide)
Do my homestead exemptions transfer to the buyer?
No. Exemptions belong to the owner who files; a buyer files for their own by April 1 of the first year they want it.
Source: Georgia Department of Revenue: County Property Tax Facts (Fulton; Forsyth)
Why are Fulton County’s 2026 tax bills temporary?
Fulton County says its 2026 bills use preliminary 2026 values and each jurisdiction’s 2025 millage rate, as the Fulton Superior Court authorized.
Source: Fulton County: 'Fulton County Issues Property Tax Bills' (Aug. 14, 2026)
Tax rates, exemptions and rules change every year. Every number on this page links to the office that sets it; confirm with that office before you rely on it.
