The Hall County Tax Commissioner’s Office is preparing to mail approximately 90,000 tax statements for real and personal property on Sept. 15, two weeks earlier than their previous Oct. 1 mail date. As a reminder, those tax bills will be due Nov. 15 this year, rather than Dec. 1 as in year’s past.
This comes after the Hall County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a resolution changing the due date at their regularly scheduled voting meeting Feb. 9.
Hall County Tax Commissioner Darla Eden said the earlier due date will be beneficial to the County and citizens alike for several reasons.
“This move will alleviate traffic in our office by separating the property tax due date from the high volume of motor vehicle transactions at the beginning and end of every month, which should create a better experience for taxpayers,” she said.
Eden said the move will also avoid processing delays associated with the Thanksgiving holiday.
“There are more business days between Nov. 15 and Thanksgiving than there are between the holiday and Dec. 1, so we will be able to process all of the incoming mail by Thanksgiving rather than managing a 5-7 day backlog of mail after the holiday,” she said.
Other benefits of the due date change, as cited by Eden, include a decrease in the time between the tax digest being approved and the mailing of statements. She said the move will also create more efficiency for the Business License, Tax Assessors and Financial Services departments as well as the Hall County School System.
The change in due date also means second notices will now be mailed on Dec. 7 instead of Dec. 22.
In a concerted effort to save the time and resources of citizens, the Hall County Tax Commissioner’s Office offers five ways to pay. With the enhanced website, making online payments at hallcountytax.org is the preferred method. Another option is payment by mail, using the return envelope provided with the statement, to P.O. Box 1579, Gainesville, GA 30503. Citizens may also visit the office or utilize the drop box located in front of the main doors of the Hall County Government Center, located at 2875 Browns Bridge Road, Gainesville, GA 30504. Finally, the Tax Commissioner’s Office’s call center is also equipped to accept credit card and e-check payments at 770.531.6950.
For properties that changed ownership during the year, in general, whoever owns a property on Jan. 1 of each year is responsible for that year's property tax. If property is purchased/sold (changes ownership) after Jan. 1, it is the responsibility of the buyer and seller to negotiate or determine who will pay the owed tax by the due date. Please refer to the closing documents or the closing attorney to determine tax liability for the current year. Also, please check with the mortgage company to make sure the tax is paid if utilizing an escrow account.
The Hall County Tax Commissioner’s Office is open to the public Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. If there are any questions or if assistance is needed, please contact the Hall County Tax Commissioner’s Office by phone at 770-531-6950, fax to 770-531-7111 or email propertytax@hallcounty.org.