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Bought in Alpharetta, Milton or Johns Creek? File Your Homestead by April 1

The short answer

Homestead exemptions cut the taxable value of the home you live in, but only after you file with the county. In Fulton and Forsyth counties you apply by April 1 of the first year you want the exemption, once the home is your primary residence. The seller’s exemptions do not pass to you. Each government grants its own, so the total depends on the jurisdiction.

By the Luxury Homes in Alpharetta Editorial Team1 min read Last checked October 19, 2026

A pond with a spraying fountain framed by orange, red and gold autumn trees, with two large houses on the far bank.
Autumn in Lexington Woods, Johns Creek (Alpharetta mailing address) Photo: Chanilim714, CC BY-SA 3.0

New owners miss this more than any other step, because nothing at closing files it for you.

The rules

  • 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
  • Georgia's House Bill 581 (2024) created a statewide floating homestead exemption. It exempts any rise in a homestead's assessed value above its adjusted base-year value. The 2025 base is the 2024 assessed value, and from 2026 the base rises by an inflation rate (CPI-U) set by the Revenue Commissioner. It applies unless the county, city or school district opted out. Georgia Department of Revenue, Informational Bulletin 2025-01 (Jan. 22, 2025), checked 2026-10-19

Exemptions by government

What each grants

What it is worth at one value

At a $2,000,000 fair market value, 2025 tax year rates (illustration, not a quote)
Where the home sitsCombined millsYearly tax, no homesteadWith homestead exemptions
City of Alpharetta31.869$25,495$24,969
City of Milton30.622$24,498$24,134
City of Johns Creek29.861$23,889$23,536
South Forsyth24.522$19,618$19,524
Assessed value is 40% of fair market value; exemptions shown are the basic homestead exemptions; floating-homestead freezes, senior exemptions and fees are not modeled. See every rate and its source.

Written by the Luxury Homes in Alpharetta Editorial Team. AI tools help us draft; people check every fact before it publishes.

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.

A golf green with a sand bunker on a grassy slope and large homes among spring trees behind it, crape myrtle trunks in front.
Golf and homes at Crooked Creek, Milton · Photo: Thomson200, CC0

Before you write the offer

Talk to a Georgia agent who checks the jurisdiction first.

Gold Peach Realty is the brokerage behind this guide. An agent can confirm which city, county and school district a home actually sits in, pull the tax bill and the homeowners association documents, and line up the closing attorney before your due-diligence period runs out.

Visit Gold Peach Realty Call (770) 283-1223

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