External Website www.athensclarkecounty.com/~tc Property Tax (706) 613-3120 Tag Office (706) 613-3130 Tax Commissioner Nancy Denson Administration Location Athens-Clarke County Courthouse 325 E. Washington Street Suite 250 Location Map Tag Office Location 3025 Lexington Road Location Map Open Tues. - Fri. 7:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Mailing Addresses (Property Tax) P.O. Box 1768 Athens, GA 30603 (Tag Office) P. O. Box 8088 Athens, GA 30603

NEW! Athens-Clarke County property tax bills for 2008 were mailed on August 20, 2008 and are due on or before October 20, 2008. The Tax Commissioner’s Office has received two reports from elderly taxpayers of a man identifying himself as an employee of the tax office calling and asking how they planned to pay their tax bill.

The Tax Commissioner’s Office does not contact taxpayers about payment unless they are delinquent. Any taxpayer who receives a phone call from someone identifying themselves as an employee of the Tax Commissioner’s Office asking for any personal information should ask for a name, hang up, and contact the Tax Commissioner’s Office at 706-613-3120.

"People with bad intentions tend to target the elderly," said Tax Commissioner Nancy Denson. "I am concerned there may be someone running some sort of scam in our community and do not want any of our citizens to become victims."

NEW! The Tax Commissioner's office handles homestead exemptions and property tax returns for real property. Real property is land and generally anything that is erected or affixed to the land. The Board of Tax Assessors office handles Freeport exemptions and business personal property tax returns. Business personal property includes furniture, fixtures, equipment, supplies and inventory of a business. It also includes boats and aircrafts.

Homestead exemption is the system developed by the State of Georgia that exempts from taxation a specified amount of assessed value of a resident's home.

Although homestead exemption applications may be submitted year round, the application deadline remains March 1 for the exemption to affect the current year’s taxes due on October 20 of the same year. Residents only need apply for the exemption one time until they move to a different residence.

Property tax returns for real property must be filed by March 1. Tax returns for real property should be filed if the owner has made any changes to existing improvements or property has changes ownership. However, Athens-Clarke County residents may choose not to file a property tax return if there are no changes that would affect the value of their property from the previous year.

The Tax Commissioner's Office now accepts online vehicle tag renewals through the Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) Web site. Renewal notices will have an RIN number on them that must be used in order to renew online. Visit the Online Payments area for more and a link to the payment center on the DOR Web site.

Mission
The overall goal of the Office of the Tax Commissioner is to provide effective and accountable tax administration to the citizens of Athens-Clarke County in a fair and courteous manner.

The Property Tax Division is involved in the preparation of the digest, collection of ad valorem tax on real and personal property, disbursements of these collections to the levying authorities, and final audit of these transactions.

The Delinquent Tax Division’s mission is to maximize collection of ad valorem tax by working with taxpayers in financial difficulty and maintaining an ongoing levy program. We use all legal measures to collect delinquent tax from those who willfully refuse to pay.

The Motor Vehicle Division provides the following services:

1. Registers and titles vehicles and collects and disburses related taxes and fees;
2. Advises taxpayers of legal means of transferring vehicle ownership and proper registration and titling procedures; and
3. Assists law enforcement in identifying vehicle ownership.