Tax Commissioner

Polk County Tax Commissioner - Dorothy C. Wood

 Property Tax Payment and Inquiry Now Available On Line

Click Here to Pay Taxes On Line

144 West Avenue
Suite A
Cedartown, Georgia 30125
Phone: (770) 749-2125
Fax: (770) 749-2149

316 N. Piedmont Avenue
Rockmart, Georgia 30153
Phone: (770) 684-3185
Fax: (770) 684-2575

Email - taxoffice@polkga.org
Office hours: Monday through Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm

IMPORTANT MESSAGE

Birthday Tax to Disappear

                      Click here for details



Services Provided:

Motor Vehicle

• Agents of Georgia Department of Motor Vehicle Safety
• Processing Title Applications
• Issuing Motor Vehicle Registrations
• Disabled Persons Placards

o    MV-9D Disabled Persons Affidavit for Doctor can be picked up at our office or printed from  https://etax.dor.ga.gov/  under Forms and Publications, Motor Vehicle Division, Disabled Person's Forms,MV-9D.  Form replacement every (2) years.  Click Here to Renew your car tag online.

Property Tax Collection and Distribution

• Recording Intangible Tax and distribution
• Mobile Home tax collection and distribution
• Issue Mobile Home yearly permits
• Heavy Duty Tax collection and distribution
• Property Tax Returns-at age 65 there are extra exemptions, 20,000 on School Tax and 4,000 on County Tax. Check with our office for other exemptions.

Duties of Tax Commissioner

Motor Vehicle

The Tax Commissioner acts as an agent for the state of Georgia Motor Vehicle Division in the processing of titles and sales, transfers, and renewals of license plates.

Property Tax

The Tax Commissioner is responsible for the collection and distribution of property tax. We do not appraise property or set millage rates.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are my taxes due?

Your taxes are due sixty (60) days from the date the bills were mailed Normal due date December 1st.

What if my mortgage company pays my taxes out of my escrow account?

You should mail a copy (or the lower portion) of your tax bill to your mortgage company. Bills are not mailed to the mortgage company. It is always a good idea to include your loan number on the copy you are sending them.

When must I file tax returns on my house and land?

Real Property (house and/or land) tax returns for Polk County must be filed between January 1 and April 1. Georgia law requires you to file a return on your property in the first full year of ownership. Thereafter, you are only required to make a return when changes in your property or deeds occur. Also, anytime you have a change of address you should notify the Tax Commissioners' Office.

Do I get an exemption on my property tax?

Yes, you can get a regular homestead exemption. Residents of Polk County who own and occupy their home on January 1 may claim an exemption from taxation on the first $2,000 of the assessed value on County, State and School Tax. Filing for the Homestead Exemption on your home is done year round but must be in by April 1 to apply to that year's tax bill. You can only file the Homestead Exemption on one home, your primary residence at that time, but you can file again, when you move to another home.

Are there any other exemptions I can claim?

Perhaps. . Residents of Polk County who own and occupy their home on January 1 and are 65 or older, may apply for a 20,000 exemption on School Tax, 4000 on County and house and 10 acre for state.

 Residents of Polk County who own and occupy their home on January 1  and are 62 years old, may qualify for extra exemptions if net income of owner and spouse is less than $10,000.

Residents of Polk County who own and occupy their home on January 1 and are 100% permanently disabled veterans are eligible for extra exemptions.

Do I pay a tax when I get my tag for my boat trailer?

Yes. When a boat trailer tag is purchased, the ad valorem tax is paid at the time on the trailer only. That tax does not include the tax due on the boat and motor. They are taxed as Personal Property.

When do I actually pay my taxes?

After tax returns have been filed and the tax digest has been approved by the State Revenue Department, you should receive your tax bills the latter part of September. They are payable then and become delinquent after December 1st (or 60 days after mailing, whichever is later). If you do not receive a tax bill on any property you own or have purchased, it is the responsibility of the property owner to check with the Tax Commissioners' Office for the amount of tax due, before they become delinquent. Interest builds on the unpaid taxes after they become delinquent.

What if I sell the timber off my land? Do I have to pay taxes on the timber?

Yes. Standing timber is not taxed until sold or harvested, at which time it is taxed based upon 100% of its fair market value. There are three types of sales and harvests that are taxable:

Lump sum sales where the timber is sold at a specific price regardless of volume;

Unit price sales where the timber is sold or harvested based on a specific price per volume;

Owner harvest sales where the landowner harvests his own timber and sells it by volume.

Taxes are due to be paid to the Tax Commissioner based upon 100% of the fair market value multiplied by the millage rate for the harvested property.

What is a Millage Rate?

The tax rate, or millage rate, in each county is set annually by the Polk County Board of County Commissioners or other governing authority of the taxing jurisdiction, and by the Polk County Board of Education. A tax rate of one mill represents a tax liability of one dollar per $1,000 of assessed value. Municipalities also assess property based upon county-assessed values and rates established by the municipal governing authority. Polk County does not collect City Tax they are billed and collected by the cities within the county.

The assessed value--40 percent of the fair market value--of a house that is worth $100,000 is $40,000. The assessed value is then multiplied by the millage rate to equal the taxes due.

How do I purchase a tax lien?

Sale of tax liens are no longer allowed under Georgia Law. The old law was repealed July 1,2001.

News  & Alerts

New Legislation Creates New Appeal Process For Property Owners

Every owner of real property will have an opportunity to appeal the value places on their property for tax purposes, beginning in 2011 and each year thereafter.

The Georgia General Assembly passed legislation in 2010 that now requires the Polk County Tax Assessors Office to notify each property owner, in writing, the values they plan to place on the property for tax purposes. If the property owner believes the value is to high they will have a forty five (45) day period to initiate an appeal.

New owners may also file a "Return Of Property" form at the Tax Commissioner's office between January 1 and April 1 of every year.

New Timeline for Registering & Titling your Vehicle

Effective January 1, 2011, your newly purchased motor vehicle from a source other than a registered dealer must be applied for at the owner County Tag Office no later than seven business days after the Date of Purchase. Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 40-2-29)

Prestige License Plates

Will now cost $35.00 extra each year. (Note: This includes any special interest plate. The only exemptions are Disabled Veteran and Purple Heart.)

Insurance Cancellation

If insurance coverage is removed from a vehicle you are required to cancel your tag (registration) - you must do this in person as a signature is required.