Fulton County Senior Property Tax Exemption & Downsizing Guide

In my experience helping sellers throughout North Fulton, the question I get most from clients 65 and older isn't "what's my home worth," it's "if I downsize, will my taxes actually go down?" The honest answer, and the one most portals won't tell you, is that they will not decrease automatically. I've watched a client trade an $850,000 Windward home for a $700,000 Alpharetta townhome and end up with a higher annual tax bill simply because the sale reset their assessment baseline. If you're weighing a tax-sensitive relocation in Alpharetta, Milton, Johns Creek, or Roswell, understanding that reset and the exemptions that offset it matters more than the sale price itself. Before modeling your net equity, review my complete senior tax exemption and downsizing strategy to see how state and county tax caps impact your transition, or explore my downsizing vs. aging-in-place comparison guide.

Why Downsizing in Alpharetta Can Raise Your Property Tax Bill

Georgia's Floating Homestead Exemption caps your annual assessed value growth at the lower of 3% or the CPI rate, so a long-held home's taxable value can sit far below its market value after 15 to 20 years. When you sell and buy a replacement property, that cap disappears, and the county reassesses the new home at 40% of its actual purchase price with no exemptions attached until you re-apply, per the official Georgia Department of Revenue property tax guidance.

• A seller with 20 years of CPI capping on an $850,000 home may pay less annually than a buyer paying $700,000 for a townhome with a fresh assessment.
• This is the single biggest surprise I walk clients through before listing: the sale price isn't the number that determines your future tax bill.

For a full picture of what you'll net after taxes, commissions, and closing costs, review my Alpharetta seller net sheet calculation guide.

How Fulton County's Senior School Tax Exemptions (HB 776 & HB 777) Actually Work

House Bill 777 reduces your Fulton County Schools assessed value by 25% starting at age 65, while House Bill 776 doubles that relief to 50% at age 70 with no income cap on either. Both require that you've held a primary homestead exemption within Fulton County Schools territory for at least 5 of the past 6 years, as verified directly with the Fulton County Board of Assessors.

• HB 777 (age 65 to 69): 25% reduction in school tax assessed value.
• HB 776 (age 70+): 50% reduction in school tax assessed value.
• Neither is income-restricted, but both are residency-restricted.

Does Fulton County Auto-Apply My Senior Exemption? The Robb Pitts Rule, Explained

Chairman Robb Pitts directed the county to auto-apply HB 776 and 777 for anyone who already holds an active primary homestead exemption, which is why many homeowners assume every senior break happens automatically. It doesn't. If you're newly turning 65 or 70, or you qualify based on income for a city-level break, you still must file a manual application with the Fulton County Board of Assessors or the City of Alpharetta Finance Department before April 1st.

Alpharetta vs. Milton vs. Johns Creek vs. Roswell: Where Do Seniors Save the Most?

County-level taxes (the 8.87-mill General Fund and roughly 20.50-mill FCS rate) are identical across these four cities, so the real differentiator is each city's own senior exemption structure. Alpharetta and Milton both offer full-value exemptions for senior residents meeting threshold requirements.

Related guides: The Alpharetta Downsizing Checklist

Quick Answers on Alpharetta Senior Property Tax Exemptions

Do senior property tax exemptions transfer automatically when I buy a new home in Alpharetta?

No. Exemptions never transfer automatically. When you purchase a replacement primary residence, you must file a brand-new application with both the Fulton County Board of Assessors and the City of Alpharetta between January 1 and April 1. Failing to apply before the April 1 deadline leaves your new property taxed at the full 40% assessed purchase price without exemptions for the entire tax year.

What is the Fulton County 5-of-6-year senior school tax requirement?

Under House Bills 776 and 777, qualifying for the 25% (ages 65–69) or 50% (age 70+) Fulton County Schools tax exemption requires having held an active primary homestead exemption within the Fulton County School District for at least 5 of the previous 6 years. Moving between homes within Alpharetta, Milton, Johns Creek, or Roswell preserves your 5-year clock, but moving into Fulton from another county (such as Forsyth, Cobb, or Gwinnett) resets your residency counter to zero.

Does a surviving spouse keep the Fulton County senior school tax exemption?

Yes, provided specific criteria are met. An unremarried surviving spouse aged 60 or older can continue receiving the senior homestead exemption granted to the deceased spouse, as long as the property remains their primary legal residence. The surviving spouse must notify the Fulton County Board of Assessors and submit documentation (such as a death certificate) to update the deed and tax records.

Where and how do I apply for senior property tax exemptions in Fulton County?

You can apply online through the Fulton County Board of Assessors SmartFile portal, by mail, or in person. In North Fulton, in-person filings are processed at the North Fulton Service Center (7741 Roswell Rd, Sandy Springs) or the Alpharetta Fulton County Annex on Royal Drive. Remember that the City of Alpharetta requires a separate homestead application filed directly with the City Finance Department at City Hall.

Does Social Security count toward the income limit for the Age 70+ municipal exemption?

No. For the 100% City of Alpharetta operating property tax exemption at age 70, Georgia law excludes income received from Social Security and certain authorized retirement pensions from the statutory calculation. The remaining household income must fall below the maximum annual Social Security benefit ceiling ($99,648 for 2026), allowing many retirees with healthy Social Security income to qualify for full city-level tax relief.