Fulton County Property Tax Help for Homeowners
Behind on property taxes in Fulton County? You have options — before a tax sale, and for a time after one.
If you've fallen behind on property taxes on a home in Fulton County — in Atlanta, Sandy Springs, College Park, East Point, Johns Creek, or anywhere else in the county — you're not alone, and falling behind does not mean losing your home is automatic. Fulton County's process moves on a set schedule, and where you are in that schedule decides what can still be done.
Georgia Tax Aid helps Fulton County homeowners understand exactly where their property stands and what their options are. The review is free, there is no obligation, and we'll tell you honestly if catching up on the taxes yourself looks realistic.
Fulton County tax sale — quick facts
- Who bills and collects: the Fulton County Tax Commissioner, Dr. Arthur E. Ferdinand. His office also collects property taxes for the City of Atlanta and other Fulton cities, so most Fulton homeowners get one combined bill.
- Who conducts the sale: the Fulton County Sheriff's Office.
- When: the first Tuesday of each month, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- Where: the steps of the Fulton County Courthouse, 136 Pryor Street SW, Atlanta.
- Check your balance: look up your account at fultoncountytaxes.org or call the Tax Commissioner's office at 404-613-6100.
Behind on property taxes? You have options.
Every situation is different. When we talk, we walk through the paths that fit yours — including catching up on the taxes yourself if that's realistic. There is never a fee to talk and no obligation.
1. Stay in your home
In some situations, we can purchase the home and lease it back to you, so you can remain in the home while the tax problem is resolved and the property is brought current.
2. More time to transition
If you expect to move within about a year, a temporary rental arrangement can give you time to plan your next step instead of facing a rushed sale on the county's schedule.
3. Sell and move on
A direct sale to our team: the back taxes are handled at closing, you avoid the tax sale and its added costs, and you choose a closing date that works for you.
How Fulton County tax sales work
Fulton County follows Georgia's tax sale process, with a Fulton County wrinkle in who runs each step. Here is how it unfolds:
- The bill comes from the Tax Commissioner. Fulton County property taxes are billed and collected by the Tax Commissioner, Dr. Arthur E. Ferdinand. If your home is in the City of Atlanta portion of Fulton County, your city taxes are collected by the same office — one bill, one payment, not two separate tax problems.
- Late balances grow. Interest begins accruing the day after the due date and continues each month the bill is unpaid. A penalty of 5% is added on the 120th day after the due date, and another 5% every 120 days after that, up to a maximum of 20%.
- A Fi. Fa. is issued. After the payment deadline passes, the Tax Commissioner notifies the taxpayer in writing that the taxes are outstanding. If they aren't paid within 30 days of that notice, the Tax Commissioner issues a tax execution — called a Fi. Fa. — against the owner and the property, under O.C.G.A. § 48-3-3.
- The sale is advertised. Before a sale, a listing of the properties runs in the Wednesday edition of the South Fulton Neighbor newspaper for four weeks, showing the owner's name, a description of the property, and the amount of tax due. The list is also posted on the courthouse steps posting boards, and the Sheriff's Office publishes its levy sale list.
- The Sheriff holds the sale. In Fulton County, the tax sale itself is conducted by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office on the steps of the Fulton County Courthouse at 136 Pryor Street SW in Atlanta. Sales are held on the first Tuesday of each month between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.; if the first Tuesday falls on a legal holiday, the sale is held the next business day.
- After a sale, there is a 12-month redemption window. Georgia law gives the owner a right of redemption for 12 months after the sale: the property can be recovered by paying the purchaser the amount paid at the sale, plus a 20% premium in the first year and certain allowed costs (O.C.G.A. § 48-4-40 and § 48-4-42). That premium is why acting before a sale almost always costs less than redeeming after one.
If you've received a notice — or you're not sure where your property stands — call us at (678) 329-9288 and we'll look at your dates with you.
Fulton County questions we hear most
Who do I actually owe — the county, or someone else?
Your Fulton County property taxes are billed and collected by the Fulton County Tax Commissioner, Dr. Arthur E. Ferdinand. That's the office to call about your balance (404-613-6100). Two different county offices touch a tax sale, though: the Tax Commissioner issues the Fi. Fa., and the Fulton County Sheriff's Office conducts the sale itself.
I live in the City of Atlanta. Is my tax situation different?
Only in one helpful way: if your home is in the Atlanta part of Fulton County, the Tax Commissioner collects your City of Atlanta taxes along with your county taxes. The county's own guidance is that only one check is necessary — so you are dealing with one combined bill and the same Fulton County process, including the same first-Tuesday tax sale, not a separate city process.
When and where is the Fulton County tax sale?
Tax sales are held on the first Tuesday of each month, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., on the steps of the Fulton County Courthouse at 136 Pryor Street SW in Atlanta. If the first Tuesday is a legal holiday, the sale moves to the next business day. The properties to be sold are advertised for four weeks beforehand in the Wednesday edition of the South Fulton Neighbor, with the owner's name, the property, and the tax due — so if your property is coming up for sale, it will appear there.
Can I make partial payments to catch up?
Yes. The Tax Commissioner's office accepts partial payments on your bill until it is paid in full. Interest still accrues on the unpaid balance, so partial payments slow the growth of what you owe rather than stopping it — but they can be a real step. Call the Tax Commissioner's office at 404-613-6100 to confirm your exact balance first, and call us if the numbers still don't work so we can look at your other options.
My property was already sold at a tax sale. Can I still get it back?
Possibly. Georgia gives owners a 12-month right of redemption after a tax sale, but redeeming means paying the purchase price plus a 20% premium and allowed costs, so the bill is higher than the taxes you owed and time matters. Reach out quickly and we'll review your timeline.
Do I have to sell my house?
No. The first step is understanding your situation and your options. For some Fulton County homeowners, catching up on the taxes is realistic, and we'll tell you that honestly. If selling makes sense, we'll explain what that would look like — the decision is always yours.
Are you part of the government?
No. Georgia Tax Aid is a private service of DR Investing Group LLC. We are not a government agency, a law firm, or financial advisers. The information on this site is general information about the Georgia tax sale process, not legal or financial advice for your specific situation.
To see if you qualify, give us a call at (678) 329-9288 or fill out the form below
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