When Are Fulton County Property Taxes Due? The Full Calendar

Most people search for "when are Fulton County property taxes due" in one of two moods: mildly organized, or mildly panicked. Either way, the answer is straightforward — and there's one wrinkle in the calendar that quietly costs Fulton homeowners real money every year. We'll cover both.

The due dates

The Fulton County Tax Commissioner mails property tax bills to the owner of record as of January 1. Per the Tax Commissioner's office, bills are normally mailed in July, City of Atlanta taxes are normally due August 15, and Fulton County taxes are normally due October 15.

Two honest caveats. First, due dates can vary from year to year — the county has pushed them later in some years — so the printed date on your bill (or the "Important Dates" section at fultoncountytaxes.org) is the final word. Second, not receiving a bill doesn't excuse a late payment. If October is approaching and nothing has arrived, the county says that's your problem to chase, not theirs.

Who actually sends your bill

This is where Fulton gets confusing, because the county has 15 cities and they don't all bill the same way.

The Fulton County Tax Commissioner bills and collects for Fulton County government, the Fulton County and Atlanta school systems, the State of Georgia, and the cities of Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, Mountain Park, Chattahoochee Hills, and South Fulton. If you live in one of those cities, your city taxes ride along on the county bill.

If you live in Milton, Alpharetta, Roswell, or another city not on that list, you get two bills: the Fulton County bill (county + schools + state) from the Tax Commissioner, and a separate city tax bill from your city, on your city's own schedule. Check your city's finance or tax office for its due date — they vary, and we're not going to guess at them here.

The Fulton County property tax year at a glance

Here's the full calendar. The dates in the middle are the ones most people have never heard of — and they matter more than the due date.

The June notice is not a bill — and that trips people up

Every June, the Board of Assessors mails an Annual Notice of Assessment to every property owner. It shows a dollar value, it comes from the county, and it looks enough like a bill that plenty of people either try to pay it or file it away to deal with "when the real one comes."

Both reactions are wrong. The assessor's office says it plainly: the assessment notice is not a bill, and you shouldn't send payment until the Tax Commissioner bills you. But it's not junk mail either — that notice is the county telling you what value your entire tax bill will be calculated from, and giving you 45 days from the date printed on it to disagree.

That's the single most expensive misunderstanding in Fulton County property taxes. The bill has a due date; the notice has a deadline. Only one of them can save you money, and it's the one that comes first. If your value looks high, the time to act is the moment the notice lands — our 45-day deadline guide walks through exactly how the clock works.

What happens to your bill if you appeal

A common worry: "If I appeal, do I still have to pay?" Yes — but usually not the full disputed amount.

While your appeal is pending, the Tax Commissioner issues a temporary tax bill. By default, parcels under appeal are billed at 85% of the current assessed value (or 100% of the last approved value); you can elect 100% billing instead when you file, and per the assessors' office, 85% is what applies if you don't specify. You must pay the temporary bill by its due date like any other bill — then, once the appeal is resolved, the county trues it up with a refund or an adjusted bill for the difference.

In other words, appealing doesn't let you skip the due date — it just means you're paying a placeholder amount while the real number gets sorted out. Nobody should let fear of the bill stop them from filing. (And if you're wondering what an appeal costs, the honest answer is in our cost guide — with us, nothing unless you win.)

What happens if you pay late

Per the Tax Commissioner's office: interest starts accruing the day after the due date and continues monthly on the unpaid principal. On top of that, a 5% penalty is charged 120 days after the due date, and another 5% every 120 days after, up to a maximum of 20%. Stay delinquent long enough and the county can issue a tax lien (FiFa) against the property.

Partial payments are accepted, but interest still runs on whatever principal is unpaid after the due date. And no — the county will not waive interest because the bill got lost in the mail.

Don't forget the homestead exemption

The cheapest way to lower your bill is also the easiest: if you own and live in your home as of January 1, file for a homestead exemption by April 1. It renews automatically once granted, and in Fulton it also brings a floating exemption that limits how fast your taxable base value can climb. If you missed April 1, Fulton now allows qualifying homeowners to apply during the 45-day appeal period as well. Full details in our Georgia homestead exemption guide.

The honest bottom line

Mark two dates, not one. The due date (normally August 15 in Atlanta, October 15 for the county bill) keeps you out of penalties. But the 45-day appeal deadline in late July decides how big that bill is in the first place — and it expires before the bill ever reaches your mailbox. Pay on time, always. But first, make sure the number you're paying is actually right. If it isn't, the appeal process exists for exactly that — and it only works in the summer window.