Real Property Tax

Contact:  (404) 370-4100, or email   t a x e s   a t   d e c a t u r g a   d o t   c o m

Homestead exemption information and online application

Estimate Property Taxes

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

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 may not necessarily be twice the amount of the first installment. Please be aware that the second installment may vary considerably from the first installment.

Here is an example of a final 2012 real estate property tax bill for property valued at $200,000 receiving the general homestead exemption.

Assessments
The City of Decatur receives all 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 www.co.dekalb.ga.us/propappr.

Appeals
If the assessed 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 eighty-five percent (85%) of their proposed assessed value. 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.

Methods of Payment

1. View and pay your record here on this web site! Click HERE to continue.
2. Pay in person at our office, located at City Hall, 509 North McDonough Street, Decatur, GA. We accept VISA, Mastercard and Discover across the counter.
3. Mail a check to the address below. 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 phone number, parcel ID, and tax year 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 this 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 will be assessed a ten percent (10%) penalty plus one percent (1%) interest monthly.

Address Changes
You can submit address changes as follows:
 

1. Send written requests for mailing address changes to: City of Decatur, Revenue Division, PO Box 220, Decatur, GA 30031. or
2. View your tax bill. Select "Update Mailing Address Information." Fill out the form and submit.

Additional Information
Additional information about your City of Decatur tax account, exemptions, tax deferred application forms, payment deadlines and other City of Decatur tax collection policies is available Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., from the Revenue Collections Division, City Hall, 509 N. McDonough Street, 404-370-4100.

Information about the various tax funds is available at Decatur City Hall, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Specific information is available as follows:

City of Decatur Tax Fund Information

Fund	Location	Phone Number	Contact
Gen/Cap/Bond	City Manager's Office	404-370-4102	Peggy Merriss
DDA	Downtown Development Authority	404-371-8386	Lyn Menne
Sanitation	Sanitation Department	404-377-5571	David Junger
School	Decatur City Schools	404-370-4400	Susan Hurst
Stormwater	Development Office	404-370-4104	Hugh Saxon

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
DDDA:  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

2012 Millage Rates

• General Fund: 10.20
• Capital Fund: 1.00
• Bond Fund: 1.42
• Total City: 12.62
• DDA Fund: .38
• School Fund: 20.90

Total: 33.90

2013 Millage Rates:  To Be Determined