Template-type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0

Author-Name: H. Spencer Banzhaf
Author-Workplace-Name: The Center for State and Local Finance, Georgia State University, USA
Author-Workplace-Email: hsbanzhaf@gsu.edu

Author-Name: Ryan Mickey
Author-Workplace-Name: Maryville College, USA
Author-Workplace-Email: ryan.mickey@maryvillecollege.edu

Author-Name: Carlianne Patrick
Author-Workplace-Name: The Center for State and Local Finance, Georgia State University, USA
Author-Workplace-Email: cpatrick@gsu.edu

Author-Name: Per Johnson
Author-Workplace-Name: The Center for State and Local Finance, Georgia State University, USA
Author-Workplace-Email: pjohnson58@student.gsu.edu

Title: Age-Based Property Tax Exemptions in Georgia

Abstract: Many local jurisdictions offer property tax exemptions or similar concessions to older citizens, especially from the school portion of the tax bill. Such exemptions can be controversial. This report is a step toward informing (but surely not settling!) such debates in Georgia. First, we apprise readers of a new resource, the Georgia Property Tax Database, housed at Georgia State University’s Fiscal Research Center. Second, we describe the patterns of the data, documenting the kinds of jurisdictions offering age-targeted exemptions and the steady increase in their prevalence and coverage over time. Third, we show how these data can be used to estimate the fiscal impacts of such exemptions on local budgets using static scoring. Fourth, we show how the data can be used to estimate the effect of these exemptions on the migratory and location decisions of older households. Finally, we include an age-based homestead exemption estimate calculator in the appendix.
Length: 15 pages

Creation-Date: 2019-04

File-URL: https://cslf.gsu.edu/files/2019/04/cslf1904.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf

Handle: RePEc:ays:cslfwp:cslf1904