Douglas County Property Tax Deadlines

New Year Brings Property Tax Deadlines

Lithia Springs Ga. – January 2, 2009: Douglas County property owners who feel their property has decreased in value due to the slump in the housing market can file a property tax return (Form PT-50R) between January 1st and April 1st of each year.

This little known process allows property owners to declare what they feel is the true market value of their property and will activate the appeals process. The property tax returns then go through the same course an appeal would, getting reviewed by staff and eventually the county Board of Assessors.

According to James Bell, director of the Douglas County Taxpayers Coalition, county property tax assessors are quick to target homes for reassessment that have sold for more than the assessed values but are slow to reassess properties that have fallen below assessed values.

“Filing a property tax return will force a review of your property and will trigger the appeals process which could lower their taxes”, said Bell.

Bell said some neighborhoods hit by foreclosures have dropped in value by 10-50 percent leaving many property owners paying more in taxes than they should.

April 1st is another important deadline to file for Homestead Exemptions. You must have owned the property on January 1st to qualify for these tax savings. These exemptions can save property owners hundreds of dollars each year.

For more information on Property Taxes visit: www.DouglasTaxes.com

Property Tax Return:

http://www.etax.dor.ga.gov/PTD/adm/forms/pt50r/index.aspx

Douglas County Tax Facts:

http://www.etax.dor.ga.gov/ptd/County/LGS_Local_Property_Tax_Facts_for_the_County_of_Douglas.pdf

Tax Facts for your County:

http://www.etax.dor.ga.gov/PTD/county/index.aspx

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This entry was posted on Friday, January 2nd, 2009 at 10:23 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

5 Responses to “Douglas County Property Tax Deadlines”

  1. Kent Owings Says:
    March 31, 2009 at 6:16 pm | Reply

    Is the close of business on April 1 at the DC Courthouse the deadline for appealing property tax values?

    Thanks!

  2. dctc Says:
    May 6, 2009 at 4:54 pm | Reply

    Yes April 1 5pm or postmarked by midnight.

  3. Dennis Snoby Says:
    May 15, 2009 at 8:05 am | Reply

    I need some help. How do I get in touch with the Douglas County Taxpayers Coalition.

    D. Snoby

  4. Dennis Snoby Says:
    May 19, 2009 at 9:28 am | Reply

    Well I got my 09 Douglas Co. assessment notice yesterday. After filing my estimated value on 3/13/09. I got a county appraiser at my door. She not only did not lower my assessment but raised it by $6k.
    Now what she did not know or care about (after I told her)was that just two days earlier I had a GA state board certified property appraiser do a in depth appraisal on the property.
    Am I going to appeal,not just YES but h— YES.
    If the financial(the money)institutions in this country are going to devalue our property by 10-20% or more.Then the county of Douglas needs to wake up & see what some of the other county’s in the Atlanta area have already seen.
    I would like to hear from some other property owners & especially any one it the Azalea Ridge sub-division.

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