Your Fulton County property assessment is in the mail: here's what changed

Fulton County is mailing annual property assessment notices to Milton homeowners — if yours hasn't arrived yet, it's coming. State law requires Fulton County to assess property values every year; this notice is the starting point for the process that ultimately sets your tax bill.

This year the notice looks different. Two changes worth knowing before you file it away:

No tax estimate. In past years the notice included an estimated tax owed to each taxing jurisdiction, including the City of Milton. That estimate is gone. Fulton County says it was removed to reduce confusion, since millage rates aren't set yet when notices go out. (If you read about Fulton County Schools' $56.9M budget deficit in Tuesday's issue, this is where it connects — the board must set the millage rate by September 1, and those public hearings are your window to weigh in on what you actually pay.)

No City of Milton homestead exemption. If you currently receive a City of Milton homestead exemption, it won't appear on your 2026 notice. Your exemption still exists — it just isn't reflected here. For questions, call the city's Finance Department at 678-242-2511 or visit miltonga.gov.

Should you appeal? Here's how to tell. In Georgia, your assessed value is 40% of what the county thinks your home is worth — so multiply the assessed figure by 2.5 to get the county's opinion of your market value. Then ask the honest question: would your home actually sell for that today? Pull up a few recent sales of similar homes nearby — same neighborhood, comparable size and condition. If those houses are going for less than the county's number, you likely have a case.

To challenge it, you have 45 days from the notice date (it's printed on the notice). File online at fultonassessor.org, by mail, or at a county office — most homeowners request a hearing before the Board of Equalization, a free panel of fellow citizens where you don't need a lawyer. Bring evidence: recent comparable sales, photos of anything that drags your value down (a dated kitchen, drainage or foundation issues), and an independent appraisal if you have one. The county has to defend its number; your job is just to show a more accurate one. Full details at miltonga.gov.