Senate Press Office
201 Paul D. Coverdell Legislative Office Building
18 Capitol Square
Atlanta , Georgia 30334
404.656.0028 or outside the Atlanta area 800.282.5803

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:                                                                                
For Information Contact:
May 16, 2008
Jeremy Arieh, Deputy Director
Ravae Graham, Communications Specialist
ravae.graham@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028

Governor signs homestead exemption law authored by Senator Kasim Reed

Providing Property Tax Relief for Atlanta Senior Citizens

ATLANTA - Governor Sonny Perdue recently signed legislation that will provide property tax relief for senior citizens in the city of Atlanta .  Senate Bill (SB) 325, authored by state Senator Kasim Reed (D-Atlanta), calls for a vote by citizens of the city of Atlanta to allow residents who are over the age of 65 and with an adjusted gross income of $40,000 or less to be granted a homestead exemption from all city of Atlanta ad valorem taxes in the amount of $40,000.

“This bill will provide much needed relief for Atlanta senior citizens,” said Sen. Reed .  “It will specifically focus on our low income seniors who are struggling financially due to the increase in property taxes in our City.  We must do all that we can do to insure that people who built this City can afford to live in it.”

The exemption will only be granted if the sum of the resident's income and the income of the spouse who reside in the homestead together does not exceed $40,000 for the previous year.  In order to be eligible for the benefit, a homeowner would have to file an application with the tax commissioner.  The exemption will be automatically renewed from year to year as long as the owner occupies the residence as a homestead, and will be the duty of any person granted the homestead exemption to notify the tax commissioner of the city of Atlanta in the event they become ineligible for the exemption. 

# # # #

Sen. Kasim Reed represents the 35 th Senate District which includes portions of Douglas and Fulton counties.  He may be reached by phone at 404.463.1379 or by e-mail at kasim.reed@senate.ga.gov .