Taxes and Fees

Decatur Tax Search Online

You may access tax information online at decaturgatax.com from the current year going back seven years. At this site, you can view tax information for all City of Decatur properties, make an online credit card payment with a convenience charge or an e-check with no convenience charge, print bills and receipts and request mailing address changes:

Decatur Tax Search

Homestead Exemption Information

In addition to the basic homestead exemption for which resident homeowners may qualify, the City of Decatur offers several additional exemptions to help local seniors live more affordably in their homes.  Please click here for homestead exemption information, links to exemption applications, and details about year's support and tax deferral programs.

Billing Information

The City of Decatur sends bills for real estate property taxes and fees in two installments.

  Mailed Due
First installment: April 1 June 1
Second installment: October 20 December 20

 

The City does not send tax bills to mortgage companies. If your property taxes are in an escrow account, your property tax information may be made available to your mortgage company or to a third party tax service if they request it from the City; however, it is ultimately the responsibility of the property owner to ensure taxes are paid. If you have questions about whether your lender will be paying your taxes, contact your mortgage company directly, especially if you have refinanced or your mortgage company has recently changed.

Calculation of Your Bill

The first installment tax bill is calculated by multiplying the assessed property value by the combined city and school millage rate and dividing the total in half. The second installment is calculated by multiplying the assessed property value by the combined millage rate, minus payment made from the first installment billing due June 1. Sanitation and stormwater fee payments are reflected in the total amount paid.

The final property tax bill uses the current year's tax digest from DeKalb County made available after the first billing as approved by the State of Georgia. The final bill credits payments made with the first installment billing. Because the assessed property value, millage rate and homestead exemptions may change with the final billing, your final bill probably won't be the same amount as the first installment. The second installment may vary considerably from the first installment.

Here is an example of a final 2022 real estate property tax bill for property valued at $400,000 receiving the general homestead exemption.

 
Fund Appraised Value Exemption Taxable Value Tax Rate Taxes Due
General Fund $200,000 $25,000 $175,000 0.00832 $1,456.00
Capital Fund $200,000 $25,000 $175,000 0.00227 $397.25
DDA Fund $200,000 $25,000 $175,000 0.00038 $66.50
Bond Fund $200,000 n/a $200,000 0.00077 $154.00
School Bond $200,000  n/a  $200,000  0.00143  $286.00
School Fund $200,000 n/a $200,000 0.02100 $4,200.00
Total Taxes         $6,559.75
Sanitation Fee     1 $305    $305.00
Stormwater Fee     1.4 $285    $301.00
Total Bill         $7,263.75

 

Assessments

The City of Decatur receives property assessments from the DeKalb County Board of Tax Assessors. If you feel your appraised value is incorrect, you may contact the DeKalb County Tax Assessor's Office at 404-371-0841 or visit the website at https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/property-appraisal/welcome. DeKalb uses as assessment ratio of 40 percent for their own bills; Decatur uses 50 percent.

Appeals

If the appraised value of your property has been appealed to the DeKalb County Board of Tax Assessors, it will be noted on the face of the tax bill. Properties currently under appeal are billed at a temporary value, which is often eighty-five percent of the proposed assessed value but can vary according to state law. Depending on the final determination of the assessed value of the property, you will receive either a bill for additional taxes due or a refund for overpayment. You are still responsible for paying the full amount shown on your bill by the payment deadline.

Payments

Checks should be made payable to the City Of Decatur and mailed to the following address postmarked no later than the payment deadline. Please include your property ID, tax year, and phone number on the check.

     City of Decatur Lockbox
     P.O. Box 945650
     Atlanta, GA 30394-5650

If your taxes are paid by a mortgage company, please forward a copy of your bill to the mortgage company for payment. Please retain a copy for your records.  If you receive a statement and you are not the current property owner, please forward the bill to the new property owner.

Penalty and Interest on Late Payments

Payments made after the payment deadline are assessed a 5 percent penalty.  The monthly rate fluctuates in accordance with a state-mandated formula.

Address Changes

Please send written requests for mailing address changes to taxes@decaturga.com or City of Decatur Finance Office, PO Box 220, Decatur, GA 30031. Mailing address changes may also be made at www.decaturgatax.com.  Mailing address changes must also be submitted in writing to the DeKalb County Board of Tax Assessors.

Additional Information

Additional information about your City of Decatur tax account, exemptions, payment deadlines and other City of Decatur tax collection policies is available Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., from the Finance Office, City Hall, 509 N. McDonough Street, 678-553-6743, or by emailing taxes@decaturga.com:

Specific information about the various tax funds is available as follows:

 
Fund Location Phone Number Contact
Gen/Cap/Bond City Manager's Office 404-370-4102 Andrea Arnold
DDA Downtown Development Authority 404-371-8386 Linda Harris
Sanitation Public Works Department 404-377-5571 David Junger
School City Schools of Decatur 404-370-4400 Lonita Broome
Stormwater Public Works 404-370-4104 Jennings Bell

 

Personal Property Tax

Personal property taxes are billed annually in October and due December 20. Personal property may include business inventory, office or work equipment, furniture, fixtures, boats and aircraft. Your bill is calculated by multiplying the assessed property value by the combined millage rate. The value is determined from a Taxpayer's Report of Personal Property filed with the DeKalb County Board of Tax Assessors by you, your accountant or agent. If no report was filed, the County bases the value on an on-site audit or review of the previous year's report or other related information.

State law requires personal property taxes to be based on the residency of the taxpayer and location of the personal property as of January 1 of each year. Personal property owned on that date is required to be reported and listed for assessment by April 1. Taxes must be paid regardless of any change in the residency of the taxpayer or disposition of the property later in the year. If you were a resident of the City of Decatur on January 1, or maintained a business located in the City of Decatur on that day, and you are liable to pay the full amount of personal property taxes as billed for the complete year.

Personal property appeals, payments, changes of address, and penalties and interest are handled in the same manner as real property taxes.

Sanitation Fees

Sanitation service fees are billed annually and normally payable in full in the first installment billing. For the 2023 first installment, the residential sanitation is $305 per year which includes the collection of garbage and trash; collection and disposal of recyclables, yard trimmings, furniture and appliances that do not contain Freon; and street cleaning. For commercial service, the sanitation fees depend on the type of service received.

All garbage (i.e. food waste) and loose trash must be placed in approved, plastic 'Pay As You Throw' bags. These heavy-duty, drawstring bags are available for purchase from local merchants including grocery and hardware stores, City Hall and the Public Works Building. Three sizes are available, 8, 15, or 33-gallon capacities. The costs per bags are $0.35 for 8-gallon bags, $0.60 for 15-gallon bags and $1.25 for 33-gallon bags. Effective July 1, 2022, it will be $0.40 for 8-gallon bags, $0.70 for 15-gallon bags, and $1.40 for 33-gallon bags. This cost covers the disposal of your garbage and trash in a sanitary landfill.

Stormwater Utility Fees

Stormwater utility fees are billed annually and are payable for the full year in the first installment billing. The base rate stormwater utility fee for 2022 is $285 and which varies based on the size of each single-family residence. Commercial, institutional and multiple-family properties with larger paved areas will pay proportionately more in fees. Properties are assessed a storm water utility fee based on the amount of paved and covered areas on the property. Income from the fees is used to make storm drainage improvements. Utility fees are charged to all property owners, including tax-exempt properties. Click here for more information about the stormwater utility.

What do you get for your tax dollar?
> Click for printable sheet

  • School: 61 cents
  • Solid Waste Fund: 3 cents
  • Capital Improvements: 3 cents
  • Stormwater Fund: 1 cents
  • Bond Fund: 4 cents
  • DDA: 1 cent
  • General Fund: 27 cents

General Fund's 27 cents includes:

  • Police Department:  6 cents
  • Fire Department:  4 cents
  • General Government: 6 cents
  • Public Works:  4 cents
  • Recreation:  2 cents
  • Children & Youth Services:  2 cents
  • Community/Economic Development:  3 cents

2023 Millage Rates

  • General Fund:  7.92
  • Capital Fund:  2.17
  • Bond Fund:  0.71
  • School Bond:  1.32 
  • DDA Fund:  0.35
  • School Fund:  20.3

Total:  32.77