Property Tax Administration 2017 annual report

2/14/2018

Georgia Department of Revenue
Property Tax Administration 2017 Annual Report

Lynnette T. Riley
Commissioner

State of Georgia
Department of Revenue
1800 Century Boulevard Suite 15300
Atlanta, Georgia 30345 (404) 417-2100
February 14, 2018

The Honorable Nathan Deal, Governor Members of the Georgia Legislature 100 State Capitol Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Members of the General Assembly and Others:
This report has been developed by the Department of Revenue for the purpose of fulfilling the Commissioner's responsibility to provide the General Assembly with the impact of Property Tax Administration and continued enactment of laws created by legislation and administered by the Georgia Department of Revenue.
The information contained in this report is provided pursuant to the requirements of O.C.G.A. 48-5-349.5, 48-5-7.1, 48-5-7.4 and 48-5-7.7. It is hoped that this document will enhance understanding of Property Tax Administration in Georgia.
The staff of the Local Government Services Division and I look forward to working with you and are available to provide more information or clarification of this report upon request.
Respectfully submitted,

Lynnette T. Riley State Revenue Commissioner
An Equal Opportunity Employer

Table of Contents
Highlights of the Annual Report............................................................................................................1 Reporting Requirements ........................................................................................................................ 5 Digest Review Procedures.....................................................................................................................6
Table 1: Review Year Counties Cited for Deficiencies .................................................................................7 Table 2: Non-Review Year Counties Assessed Additional State Tax ..........................................................7 Figure 1: Average Level of Assessment ......................................................................................................8 Figure 2: Average Level of Uniformity. ..........................................................................................................8 Figure 3: Average Level of Assessment Bias................................................................................................8 Value and Revenue ................................................................................................................................. 9 Figure 4: Total Assessed Value.....................................................................................................................9 Figure 5: Average Millage Rate ....................................................................................................................9 Table 3: 2017 Property Tax Mill Rates ...................................................................................10 Figure 6: Comparison of Total Revenue .....................................................................................................14 Figure 7: 2016 Percentage of Total Revenue by Tax Type ........................................................................14 Figure 8: 2016 County Tax Revenue by Property Class .............................................................................15 Figure 9: Five-Year Comparison of County Tax Revenue ..........................................................................15 Figure 10: 2016 School Tax Revenue by Property Class. ..........................................................................16 Figure 11: Five-Year Comparison of Total School Tax Revenue................................................................16 Figure 12: 2016 State Tax Revenue by Property Class ..............................................................................17 Figure 13: Five-Year Comparison of State Tax Revenue ...........................................................................17 Performance Reviews of County Boards of Tax Assessors.............................................................18 List of Counties Where Performance Reviews Occurred ............................................................................19 Public Utilities ....................................................................................................................................... 20 Figure 14: Change in Public Utility Digest Value.........................................................................................21 Figure 15: Trend of Average Proposed Public Utility Equalization Ratios. .................................................21 Figure 16: Number of Public Utility Companies by Year ............................................................................21 Table 4: 2016 Ratios Used to Propose 2017 Public Utility Assessments...................................................22 Preferential Agricultural Assessment.................................................................................................23 Table 5: Preferential Agricultural Assessment Fiscal Impact .....................................................................24 Table 6: Preferential Agricultural Assessment for 2016 .............................................................................25 Figure 17: Preferential Agricultural Total Tax Dollar. ..................................................................................29 Figure 18: Preferential Agricultural Assessed Value Eliminated .................................................................29 Conservation Use Valuation ................................................................................................................ 30 Table 7: Conservation Use Fiscal Impact. ..................................................................................................31 Table 8: Conservation Use Valuation Assessment.....................................................................................32 Figures 19: Conservation Use Revenue Shift .............................................................................................36

Figures 20: Conservation Use Assessed Value Eliminated ........................................................................36 Forest Land Conservation Use............................................................................................................37
Table 9: Forest Land Conservation Use Fiscal Impact...............................................................................38 Table 10: Forest Land Conservation Use Valuation Assessment ..............................................................39 Taxation of Standing Timber ............................................................................................................... 44 Figure 21: Statewide Timber Values ...........................................................................................................44 Figure 22: County and School Revenue from Timber .................................................................................44 Table 11: 2015 Timber Revenue Reported on 2016 Tax Digests ..............................................................45 Georgia's Unclaimed Property Program.............................................................................................50 Unclaimed Property Deposit........................................................................................................................50 Percentage of Paid Claims ..........................................................................................................................50

Highlights of the Annual Report
Digest Review
The Revenue Commissioner continues to ensure uniformity and equalization between and within counties using the same procedures enacted in 1992, and in the manner prescribed in Article 5A of Chapter 5 of Title 48.
O.C.G.A. 48-5-8 was amended in 2010 so that over five years between 2011 and 2016 the state levy phased-out. Beginning in calendar year 2016, the state levy for ad valorem purpose is zero.
In addition, for tax year 2016, the statutory deadline for submitting the annual property tax digests changed from August 1st to September 1st (See O.C.G.A. 48-5-205). For 2015, forty (40) counties submitted their 2015 tax digest by the August 1st deadline. For 2016, eighty-six (86) out of 159 counties submitted their 2016 digest by the September 1st deadline. The Department continues to encourage counties to achieve compliance with the law governing the digest submission due date.
Of the 53 counties falling in the 2016 digest review year and which underwent extensive review, 4 county ad valorem tax digests failed to meet state standards for approval. None of the 2016 review-year digests were subject to the $5.00 per parcel penalty.
Of the other 106 non-review counties examined in 2016, no county ad valorem tax digest failed to have an acceptable overall average assessment ratio1 compared to one failure in 2015.
Assessed values increased from $373.1 billion in 2015 to $387.6 billion in 2016 or a 3.9% increase from the values reported in 2015. The 2016 average millage rate of 28.56 increased from the 2015 average millage rate of 28.53.
Several graphs showing the trend of the level of assessment, uniformity, and assessment bias can be found on Figures 1 - 3 of this report.
1 Assessment Ratio - the fractional relationship that the assessed value of property bears to its fair market value.
1

Performance Review
In 2000, legislation was passed which provides that county governing authorities, by resolution, could request that the Commissioner conduct a performance review of the county board of tax assessors. Upon receipt of such a request, the Commissioner appoints a Performance Review Board consisting of 3 members: 1 member who is an employee of the Department of Revenue and 2 members who serve as county chief appraisers. Once appointed, the Performance Review Board performs a thorough and complete investigation of the board of tax assessors, including the technical competency of appraisal techniques and compliance with state law and regulations, and issues a report of its findings to the governing authority.
Since 2003 the Department has completed Performance Review of 33 county boards of tax assessors. Additional information and a list of the counties where performance reviews have been performed can be found in the section on Performance Reviews of County Boards of Tax Assessors.
Public Utilities
The statewide average equalization ratio2 for public utility property increased slightly from 39.5% in 2016 to 41.6% for tax year 2017.
Equalization ratios for eleven (11) of the 159 counties were proposed at a ratio less than 40% for tax year 2017.
Figure 14 reflects the growth in the Public Utility Digest since 2011.
A chart showing the trend of the state proposed average equalization ratio for public utility property since 2011 can be found beginning on Figure 15 of this report.
Figure 16 shows the fluctuation in the number of companies centrally assessed annually due to mergers, acquisitions, or companies ceasing to conduct business in Georgia.
2 Equalization Ratio - the level of assessment of centrally assessed property proposed by the State Board of Equalization and equal to the level of assessment of all other property valued by the local county board of tax assessors. O.C.G.A. 48-2-18.
2

Preferential Agricultural Assessment
Since the implementation of Preferential Agricultural Assessment3 in 1984, the program continued to grow through tax year 2001. Since that time, the number of taxpayers participating in this special assessment program has steadily declined; a result of the increase in fair market values at the local level and the advantages of Conservation Use Valuation.
Tables 5 and 6 and Figures 17 and 18 depict the impact of Preferential Agricultural Assessment.
Conservation Use Valuation
Since the implementation of Conservation Use Valuation4 in 1992, the number of parcels in this program has risen steadily. The number of parcels enrolled in the program for 2016 is 194,175 representing the elimination of approximately $9.5 billion in value and total tax shift of approximately $263 million. These values are expected to increase as county boards of tax assessors perform revaluations.
Tables 7 and 8, and Figures 19 and 20 depict the impact of Conservation Use Valuation.
Forest Land Protection Act of 2008
A new section has been added to this report as a result of 68% of the voters approving Amendment 1 in the 2008 General Election. This amendment to the Constitution, known as the "Georgia Forest Land Protection Act of 2008", provides current use assessment for tracts of forest land consisting of more than 200 acres if the property owner enters a 15- year covenant.
One significant difference between this program and the Conservation Use Assessment is the provision for the General Assembly to make an annual appropriation for forest land conservation use assistance grants to counties to offset the revenue shift resulting from properties entered in this program. The grant formula is designed to reimburse local governments for one-half of revenue reduction on the first 3% of digest value and 100% of the amount of revenue reduction that exceeds 3% of digest value.
Table 10 shows the number of properties enrolled in this program for 2016; the dollar amount of the revenue shift; and the amounts of grants due to local governments.
3 Preferential Agricultural Assessment - Bona fide agricultural property assessed at 75 percent of the assessment of other property or at 30% of fair market value. O.C.G.A. Section 48-5-7 and 48-5-7.1.
4 Conservation Use Valuation - Bona fide agricultural property assessed at current use value rather than fair market value and developed by the Department in accordance with O.C.G.A. Section 48-5-269.
3

Timber Taxation
Timber harvest values reported on the 2016 digests decreased from $685.2 million in 2014 to $670.7 million in 2015, a 2.1% value decrease. The revenue decreased 2.5% from $19.5 million to $19 million. Timber harvest values and revenue trends can be found on Figures 21 and 22, and Table 11.
Unclaimed Property
The responsibility for the administration of this program is also handled by the Local Government Services Division. The Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act protects the rights of owners of abandoned property and relieves those holding the property of the continuing responsibility to account for the property. The type of property that is subject to the Unclaimed Property Act consists of wages, company liquidation proceeds, safe deposit boxes, money orders, uncashed checks, traveler checks, stocks and bonds. Under the Act, when someone holds property (holder) that belongs to someone else (owner), but has lost contact with the owner for a specified period (holding period), that holder must turn over (remit) the property to the State. The State serves as the custodian for any property remitted under the Act allowing the owners or their heirs an opportunity to claim their property in the future. The information provided includes a five-year history on deposits, locatable deposits, and paid claims.
Summary
The Department desires to provide the legislature with all information necessary for the proper evaluation of legislative impacts and promulgation of property tax policies. It fully supports the initiatives of the General Assembly in providing tax relief to the elderly, authorizing special assessment programs and exemptions for certain categories of property, homeowner tax relief grants, and increased homestead exemptions that return value to the citizens of Georgia.
4

Reporting Requirements
The Commissioner's responsibility for continuing to provide the General Assembly with the impact of property tax administration and continued enactment of laws created by legislation and administered by the Department of Revenue, Local Government Services Division, are as follows:
O.C.G.A. 48-5-342 requires examination of the digest of each county to ensure that all property valuations are reasonably uniform and equalized among the counties and within the counties. O.C.G.A. 48-5-349.5 requires a status report on this review process along with the Commissioner's observations regarding the progress of the counties in ad valorem tax administration. O.C.G.A. 48-5-7.1 requires submission of a report showing the fiscal impact of the law providing for the preferential assessment of tangible real property devoted to agricultural use. Qualified farm property is assessed at 75% of assessed value under this program and this report analyzes the effect of this program on taxpayers and levying authorities. O.C.G.A. 48-5-7.4 requires a report showing the fiscal impact of the law providing for conservation use assessment of certain agricultural properties attendant with this code section. Qualified farm property is assessed at its current use value based upon a table of values established by the Commissioner following specific legal procedures. This report analyzes the adverse fiscal impact, if any, on other taxpayers and levying authorities. O.C.G.A. 48-5-7.7 requires a report showing the fiscal impact of the law providing for current use assessment of properties enrolled in the Forest Land Protection Act of 2008 program attendant with this code section. Qualified forest land property is assessed at its current use value based upon a table of values established by the Commissioner following specific legal procedures. This report analyzes the adverse fiscal impact, if any, on other taxpayers and levying authorities.
5

Digest Review Procedures
The Commissioner, through the Local Government Services Division, has been given the statutory duty in Article 5A of Chapter 5 of Title 48 to review county tax digests and provide guidance to county boards of tax assessors when adjusting property valuations to ensure uniformity and equalization5 of assessments for all property owners.
As directed by the legislature, the Commissioner has adopted a digest review cycle in which each county's tax digest is reviewed extensively to determine the level of assessment, uniformity and equalization in each property class.
O.C.G.A. 48-5-304 prohibits the Commissioner from approving any digest where the value in dispute exceeds certain stated thresholds or where evidence exists that the county substantially failed to comply with laws regarding valuation of property.
In any given year, one third of the county tax digests undergo extensive statistical testing. Counties which do not meet the criteria as set forth in the statute and regulations, are allowed an opportunity during the three-year cycle to correct any deficiencies by the next review year. The other counties that are not being extensively reviewed are examined for level of assessment to equalize the state levy and public utility assessments. The Commissioner approves a county's digest as being reasonably uniform and equalized if it meets certain standards.
For those digests submitted by counties in their digest review year, the Commissioner completes her review on or before August 1 of the following tax year or within 30 days of the date the ratio study results are provided by the State Auditor. Based upon this review, the Commissioner will approve a digest when it is found to be reasonably uniform and equalized by having met the following state standards:
The average level of assessment for each class of property meets the mandated state standard of 36% to 44%;
The average measure of overall equalization, the coefficient of dispersion5, meets the state standard of 15% or less for residential properties and 20% or less for all other property classes; and
The bias ratio, or statistical measure of price-related differential6, meets the state standard of 95% to 110%.
5 The Coefficient of Dispersion - the statistical representation of equalization. 6 The Price-Related Differential - the statistical measure of assessment bias. This demonstrates whether lower or higher-priced properties are more accurately assessed.
6

Annually one-third of the counties are subject to measuring additional standards of statistical compliance. When measuring this compliance, the Commissioner utilizes information provided by the State Auditor from the sales ratio studies developed for each county. Each county's ratio study measures the statistical standards for level of assessment, uniformity and equalization.
The Commissioner conditionally approves the digest and assesses a penalty of $5 per taxable parcel of real property if a county's review year digest contains the same or similar deficiencies as the previous review year digest.
The 2016 digest review process was completed as directed in O.C.G.A. 48-5-343. As noted on Table 1, the review of the 53 counties that fell within the 2016 review year indicated that while four counties were deficient, no county was subject to the $5 per parcel penalty for failure to correct prior digest deficiencies.
The review of the 106 non-review year counties resulted no county being assessed state tax.
Table 1: Review Year Counties Cited for Deficiencies

COUNTY Barrow Coffee Fulton Meriwether

$5 PARCEL PENALTY

STATE LEVY

Table 2: Non-Review Year Counties Assessed Additional State Tax

COUNTY None

ADDITIONAL STATE TAX

7

Figure 1: Average Level of Assessment shows the average Median Ratio from 2010 to 2016.

Acceptable Range: 36% to 44%

42.00%

40.00% 38.00%

38.27%

39.21%

39.00%

39.15%

39.48%

39.42% 39.51%

36.00%

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Figure 2: Average Level of Uniformity shows the average level of uniformity, as measured by the Coefficient of Dispersion, and indicates the equality of assessments between individual properties. Case law indicates that this is the most important measure of fairness within a taxing jurisdiction.

Acceptable Range: 15% or less

18.00% 15.00%

13.57%

12.52%

12.00% 9.00%

12.71%

13.04%

6.00%

3.00%

2010

2011

2012

5.42% 2013 2014

11.00% 12.04%
2015 2016

Figure 3: Average Level of Assessment Bias shows the average level of assessment bias for the past five years as measured by the Price Related Differential.

Acceptable Range: 95% to 110%

110.00%

105.00%

101.93%

100.00% 95.00%

2012

101.98% 2013

100.92%

101.23%

101.62%

2014

2015

2016

8

Value and Revenue
Since the implementation of the current digest review procedures, counties have been performing either total or partial revaluations or updates to property valuations to conform to the state standards for acceptable digests. Property values increased from 2001 to 2008 between 6 and 9 percent annually. Assessed values decreased from 2010 to 2013 and appear to have recovered to near 2008 levels by digest year 2016.

Figure 4: Total Assessed Value shows the changes in property values since 2008.

500.0

400.0 300.0

397.9 396.6

359.4

376.7

348.4

348.1

373.1

358.7

387.6

Billions

200.0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Figure 5: Average Millage Rate shows the average millage rate since 2010.

32

30 28 26.79
27.31 26

27.52

28.11

28.17

28.56

28.53

24 2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

9

Table 3: 2017 Property Tax Mill Rates shows the unincorporated mill rates that include county, school, fire and special tax district mill rates.

COUNTY

CY2014

CY2015

CY2016

CY2017

Appling

27.940

27.890

27.844

27.844

Atkinson

32.272

32.222

32.172

32.172

Bacon

27.734

28.684

28.726

28.727

Baker

24.789

24.460

24.841

24.586

Baldwin

27.000

26.960

26.910

25.510

Banks

23.591

25.204

25.136

24.434

Barrow

31.352

30.301

30.152

29.116

Bartow

29.180

28.260

28.210

28.000

Ben Hill

32.720

33.139

33.242

34.795

Berrien

30.810

30.858

30.808

31.710

Bibb

32.697

32.647

34.597

37.466

Bleckley

29.514

29.470

29.414

29.386

Brantley

33.996

33.902

33.096

32.977

Brooks

28.060

28.051

28.997

29.206

Bryan

24.787

24.737

24.640

24.361

Bulloch

20.838

22.688

22.594

22.025

Burke

22.870

22.820

22.520

22.372

Butts

33.381

33.229

31.773

30.973

Calhoun

30.753

30.775

31.730

31.704

Camden

28.860

29.660

30.610

30.610

Candler

26.038

25.988

26.159

26.825

Carroll

28.082

27.964

26.350

26.340

Catoosa

25.390

25.340

25.987

24.706

Charlton

37.019

36.460

36.420

36.400

Chatham

31.654

33.354

33.304

34.314

Chattahoochee

25.734

25.734

25.655

25.653

Chattooga

26.715

26.368

25.573

29.040

Cherokee

29.458

29.400

29.113

28.812

Clarke

34.050

34.000

33.950

33.950

Clay

28.735

30.368

30.325

30.346

Clayton

34.773

35.007

35.691

35.691

Clinch

29.833

32.503

33.853

33.853

Cobb

29.710

29.460

28.750

28.750

Coffee

24.645

24.531

24.401

24.378

Colquitt

27.313

27.836

27.579

27.216

Columbia

27.327

26.987

26.937

27.937

10

COUNTY

CY2014

CY2015

CY2016

CY2017

Cook Coweta Crawford Crisp Dade Dawson Decatur Dekalb Dodge Dooly Dougherty Douglas Early Echols Effingham Elbert Emanuel Evans Fannin Fayette Floyd Forsyth Franklin Fulton Gilmer Glascock Glynn Gordon Grady Greene Gwinnett Habersham Hall Hancock Haralson Harris Hart Heard Henry Houston Irwin Jackson Jasper Jeff Davis

29.065 28.690 28.630 29.450 23.407 25.484 27.750 45.290 23.660 33.809 39.711 33.603 27.740 33.735 29.107 28.325 26.318 22.430 17.794 30.888 29.779 26.474 27.108 43.122 25.624 28.730 24.100 29.121 27.550 20.662 34.100 26.253 27.389 32.871 30.180 24.800 19.861 22.683 40.026 24.570 29.116 34.156 37.536 28.230

29.015 28.470 28.580 30.752 23.357 24.684 31.810 44.590 25.606 34.509 40.273 32.959 27.599 35.251 28.799 29.350 26.787 23.814 17.744 30.307 30.563 27.804 29.731 40.881 24.653 28.680 24.050 29.980 27.515 20.295 35.479 25.769 27.235 33.023 30.660 24.750 19.811 22.633 39.551 24.520 29.066 33.608 37.486 28.180

28.965 28.555 30.030 30.711 23.900 23.916 31.378 44.190 25.556 34.459 40.206 32.267 26.650 34.647 28.638 29.351 28.836 25.679 16.984 29.543 30.513 27.754 29.181 40.762 25.103 28.630 24.000 29.703 27.853 20.185 35.026 26.074 27.166 31.237 30.640 24.700 20.513 22.583 38.361 24.020 29.016 33.239 35.537 28.380

28.920 29.310 30.030 30.724 23.993 23.916 31.288 44.090 25.546 34.459 40.175 31.718 25.750 34.633 30.118 31.418 28.770 25.273 15.406 29.095 30.148 27.754 27.931 41.336 24.603 28.630 26.110 29.636 27.690 20.209 35.360 27.278 27.850 31.198 28.838 27.200 19.380 22.583 38.361 24.432 31.516 33.048 35.504 28.880

11

COUNTY

CY2014

CY2015

CY2016

CY2017

Jefferson Jenkins Johnson Jones Lamar Lanier Laurens Lee Liberty Lincoln Long Lowndes Lumpkin Macon Madison Marion McDuffie McIntosh Meriwether Miller Mitchell Monroe Montgomery Morgan Murray Muscogee Newton Oconee Oglethorpe Paulding Peach Pickens Pierce Pike Polk Pulaski Putnam Quitman Rabun Randolph Richmond Rockdale Schley Screven

29.642 26.196 29.439 31.335 29.348 32.875 22.425 32.206 34.840 28.455 29.310 27.508 26.363 28.328 28.894 23.609 25.090 26.674 32.974 36.735 36.873 25.273 27.064 26.067 22.870 40.650 34.218 24.286 27.114 31.566 31.655 23.420 26.148 30.722 27.494 28.599 21.785 32.123 19.360 35.030 32.780 46.040 31.380 26.850

29.920 26.146 29.375 34.035 30.278 32.822 21.883 32.092 35.020 31.481 30.823 26.952 28.022 28.211 28.715 23.569 25.040 26.624 32.966 38.442 36.424 26.200 27.087 26.796 22.754 41.300 34.333 23.736 29.604 30.777 31.605 23.372 27.470 30.293 27.294 28.549 21.754 32.013 19.258 35.340 32.734 45.560 31.336 28.683

30.882 25.578 30.185 35.985 30.308 32.824 21.874 31.916 34.469 30.165 30.778 28.135 29.906 29.311 28.704 23.448 27.490 26.574 32.924 36.876 36.374 27.631 27.844 26.458 22.694 40.550 34.333 23.686 29.526 30.237 31.555 23.930 27.260 31.801 27.212 28.759 22.572 31.938 18.852 35.575 32.468 45.510 31.286 29.579

34.026 25.675 30.185 35.985 30.311 32.702 21.848 31.916 36.266 31.165 31.795 28.063 28.928 29.302 31.280 23.821 27.490 26.574 33.932 36.907 35.970 29.065 29.699 25.907 24.694 40.501 34.333 23.686 30.193 30.549 31.689 23.553 27.137 34.273 27.212 28.767 22.546 31.992 18.800 35.440 32.438 45.510 31.286 29.886

12

COUNTY
Seminole Spalding Stephens Stewart Sumter Talbot Taliaferro Tattnall Taylor Telfair Terrell Thomas Tift Toombs Towns Treutlen Troup Turner Twiggs Union Upson Walker Walton Ware Warren Washington Wayne Webster Wheeler White Whitfield Wilcox Wilkes Wilkinson Worth

CY2014
30.020 39.750 33.760 26.755 30.858 30.213 38.722 28.472 24.080 31.636 30.084 24.648 30.564 24.316 14.130 25.075 30.260 32.119 33.300 17.781 34.240 25.229 35.382 32.863 32.458 26.208 30.000 26.567 32.856 26.750 26.917 33.460 29.140 32.200 28.701

CY2015
30.801 38.972 33.210 26.689 30.808 30.163 38.790 28.581 24.030 31.955 30.034 24.539 30.499 24.221 14.009 25.523 29.469 32.069 33.250 17.725 34.190 26.046 34.757 32.910 32.408 27.385 29.950 26.517 32.806 26.700 27.867 33.410 29.090 32.150 28.701

CY2016
30.459 37.840 31.710 26.648 31.478 30.113 38.583 28.372 23.960 31.858 29.984 24.139 30.491 23.704 13.832 25.960 30.160 32.019 33.200 17.575 34.180 24.469 33.955 32.603 32.358 26.836 29.923 26.467 32.599 27.962 30.317 33.360 28.911 32.082 28.651

CY2017
31.779 37.174 32.210 26.662 31.449 29.988 38.596 27.723 23.790 31.991 29.984 23.962 30.461 23.708 13.831 26.478 30.160 31.989 36.200 17.566 33.620 26.460 33.265 32.694 30.358 30.328 30.923 26.467 32.359 27.958 31.523 33.360 28.426 34.440 28.651

13

Property tax continues to be the primary revenue source for local governments. Currently approximately $11.2 billion in revenue is collected from property taxes in Georgia. Because Department involvement in the collection of city taxes is limited, the information below does not include taxes levied and collected for municipalities.

Figure 6: Comparison of Total Revenue shows the total revenues collected.

Billions

15.0
12.0
9.0 10.7
6.0 2010

10.4 2011

10.1 2012

10.2 10.5

2013

2014

10.9 2015

11.2 2016

Figure 7: 2016 Percentage of Total Revenue by Tax Type shows the percentage of the total ad valorem taxes levied for state, county and school purposes.

School, 61.02%

County, 38.98%

14

Figure 8: 2016 County Tax Revenue by Property Class shows the amount of tax revenue generated from the various classes of property for county tax purposes.

Motor Vehicle, $135.7
Public Utility, $179.9

Mobile Homes, $11.9 Timber, $8.9

Industrial, $228.4

Heavy Duty Equipment, $0.3

Commercial, $1,173.7

Residential , $2,108.5

Agricultural, $118.6

Figure 9: Five-Year Comparison of County Tax Revenue shows the amount of tax revenue levied for 2016 for county tax purposes and a five-year comparison.

Billions

$6.0

$5.0

$4.0

$3.5

$3.0

$2.0 2012

$3.6 2013

$3.8 2014

$3.9 2015

$4.0 2016

15

Figure 10: 2016 School Tax Revenue by Property Class shows the amount of tax revenue.

Motor Vehicle,

$212.0

Public Utility, $265.7

Mobile Homes, $16.4

Industrial, $353.0

Timber, $11.1

Commercial, $1,818.3

Heavy Duty Equipment, $0.4

Agricultural, $163.2

Residential , $3,377.7

Figure 11: Five-Year Comparison of Total School Tax Revenue shows the amount of tax revenue and a five-year comparison for school tax purposes.

Billions

10.0
8.0 5.5
6.0
4.0 2012

5.6 2013

5.8 2014

6.0 2015

6.2 2016

16

Figure 12: 2016 State Tax Revenue by Property Class
The State has phased out the State's portion of property tax revenues which began descent in tax year 2011.
Figure 13: Five-Year Comparison of State Tax Revenue shows the amount of revenue and five-year comparison for state tax purposes.

Millions

80.0 58.4
60.0
40.0
20.0
0.0 2012

43.6 2013

29.9

2014

15.5 2015

0.0 2016

17

Performance Reviews of County Boards of Tax Assessors
In 2000 legislation was passed which provides that county governing authorities, by resolution, can request that the Commissioner conduct a Performance Review of the county board of tax assessors. Upon receipt of such a request, the Commissioner appoints a Performance Review Board consisting of 3 members: 1 member who is an employee of the Department of Revenue and 2 members who serve as chief appraisers in counties other than the county being reviewed. Once appointed, the Performance Review Board performs a thorough and complete investigation of the board of tax assessors, including the technical competency of appraisal techniques and compliance with state law and regulations, and issues a report of its findings to the governing authority.
The governing authority may use the results of the Performance Review Report as grounds for removal of any or all members of the board of tax assessors. Since 2000, Bibb, Chatham, Douglas, Fannin, Fulton and Hart counties have pursued removal of members of the board of tax assessors based on the findings of the Performance Review Board.
During the years the Department has been conducting Performance Reviews, it has become evident that county governing authorities most often request Performance Reviews whenever the board of tax assessors has concluded a revaluation of all property within the county, particularly if the tax assessors have not kept taxpayers informed of the expected effect the revaluation will have upon property values.
The findings of the Performance Reviews have varied. Some have determined that counties are in compliance with state law, where the board of tax assessors has been diligent in establishing fair market values in an appropriate manner, are conscientious in following proper appraisal methodology, and work well with taxpayers and other county tax officials. Others have found dysfunctional boards who have established property values with no documentation to support their appraisals, without adherence to proper appeal procedures, and lack good customer service to taxpayers.
18

List of Counties Where Performance Reviews Occurred

2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003

Fulton

Echols

Hart

Spalding

Candler Fannin Floyd

Wayne Lincoln

Pierce

Camden Jones

Effingham

Jefferson

Brantley Crawford Telfair

Bibb

Fulton

Habersham Lamar

Charlton Gilmer

Ware

Wheeler

Dade

Hart

Liberty

Madison

Douglas Johnson Richmond

Morgan

Whitfield

19

Public Utilities
O.C.G.A. 48-2-18 requires the Commissioner to annually propose assessments for public utility property and to ensure that these properties are assessed at the same overall average assessment level as other property in the county. Each utility company is required to annually return their properties indicating location, description, type of property and valuation. The Commissioner's staff inspects these returns to ensure the accuracy of each utility company's declarations and the State Board of Equalization must approve the digest of public utility values and equalization ratios prior to notification to the counties and the public utility companies. The State Board of Equalization at the time the 2016 digest was approved was comprised of Revenue Commissioner Lynnette T. Riley, State Auditor Greg Griffin, and Steve Stancil, Director of the State Properties Commission.
In determining each county's proposed assessed public utility values for 2016 the Commissioner utilized the equalization ratios developed by the State Auditor based on the results of the sales ratio study performed on 2015 tax digest. This method ensures that proposed public utility values are set at the same overall average assessment level as other properties.
Once the State Board of Equalization approved these values, proposed equalization ratios and assessments were issued to the counties and utility companies. Each county board of tax assessors then determined the final assessment of utility properties by either accepting the State's proposed equalization ratio or substituting their own upon issuing assessment notices to the utility companies.
The Department continues to be engaged in litigation as a result of public utility companies appealing their valuations. Discussions with public utility industry representatives continue in an attempt to reach a mutual understanding of appraisal methodologies so as to reduce the number of appeals and provide a uniform method of appraising property using the unit rule approach.
The Department appraised these properties utilizing recognized and publicly available financial reference data to determine the reported net worth of public utility companies in an effort to eliminate bias concerning the actual unit value of each company. These nationally recognized financial sources included Reuters, Standard & Poor's, Morningstar, and Value Line, making the process less subjective and more transparent.
20

Figure 14: Change in Public Utility Digest Value shows the digest history since 2011.

Billions

50.00 45.00 40.00 35.00 30.00

33.96

35.71

2011

2012

36.72 2013

37.07 2014

37.97 2015

41.56 39.68

2016

2017

Figure 15: Trend of Average Proposed Public Utility Equalization Ratios below shows the trend of the statewide proposed public utility equalization ratios.

45

42
39 38.22
36 2011

38.99 2012

39.13

39.5

39.2

39.48

2013

2014

2015

2016

41.6 2017

Figure 16: Number of Public Utility Companies by Year shows the numbers of companies that are centrally assessed on an annual basis.

240
230 235 220
210
200 2011

230 2012

232 224

2013

2014

217 2015

214 2016

216 2017

21

Table 4: 2016 Ratios Used to Propose 2017 Public Utility Assessments shows each county's proposed equalization ratio for assessment of the public utility properties.

Appling Atkinson Bacon Baker Baldwin Banks Barrow Bartow Ben Hill Berrien Bibb Bleckley Brantley Brooks Bryan Bulloch Burke Butts Calhoun Camden Candler Carroll Catoosa Charlton Chatham Chattahoochee Chattooga Cherokee Clarke Clay Clayton Clinch Cobb Coffee Colquitt Columbia Cook Coweta Crawford Crisp

38.91 39.06 38.96 40.18 38.23 40.02 35.50 38.70 40.23 38.53 40.32 38.91 38.08 39.57 39.31 39.09 39.46 39.60 40.26 38.18 39.50 39.42 38.12 39.46 38.13 39.23 36.69 38.03 39.39 38.85 40.92 39.10 38.01 38.70 38.49 39.10 40.46 38.15 39.77 40.51

Dade Dawson Decatur Dekalb Dodge Dooly Dougherty Douglas Early Echols Effingham Elbert Emanuel Evans Fannin Fayette Floyd Forsyth Franklin Fulton Gilmer Glascock Glynn Gordon Grady Greene Gwinnett Habersham Hall Hancock Haralson Harris Hart Heard Henry Houston Irwin Jackson Jasper Jeff Davis

40.16 39.99 40.10 38.53 39.13 39.97 40.35 39.89 39.86 39.21 40.13 40.02 39.83 39.85 38.80 38.81 39.06 38.08 38.27 36.05 38.73 40.07 37.44 39.82 37.31 40.82 39.41 38.39 38.16 41.14 38.07 39.58 36.63 39.14 39.82 38.71 39.16 38.64 39.61 38.01

Jefferson Jenkins Johnson Jones Lamar Lanier Laurens Lee Liberty Lincoln Long Lowndes Lumpkin Macon Madison Marion McDuffie McIntosh Meriwether Miller Mitchell Monroe Montgomery Morgan Murray Muscogee Newton Oconee Oglethorpe Paulding Peach Pickens Pierce Pike Polk Pulaski Putnam Quitman Rabun Randolph

39.26 40.45 40.23 42.32 39.80 42.85 38.99 38.75
37.99 40.89 38.61 39.28 37.55 38.11 41.08 40.40 39.46 39.80 41.34 39.23 39.57 40.19 40.44 38.18 39.24 37.67 38.09 38.82 39.52 39.26 41.84 38.34 39.92 39.69 40.94 40.59 39.34 40.34 40.44

Richmond Rockdale Schley Screven Seminole Spalding Stephens Stewart Sumter Talbot Taliaferro Tattnall Taylor Telfair Terrell Thomas Tift Toombs Towns Treutlen Troup Turner Twiggs Union Upson Walker Walton Ware Warren Washington Wayne Webster Wheeler White Whitfield Wilcox Wilkes Wilkinson Worth Average

39.01 39.09 42.69 39.06 40.55 38.77 41.58 40.66 40.84 36.18 39.92 38.07 40.59 40.21 41.07 39.06 39.17 40.42 38.96 40.33 39.30 39.78 40.85 39.50 36.17 38.42 38.33 38.15 38.96 42.37 39.88 42.59 39.65 40.60 38.92 39.05 40.80 38.16 40.74 39.39

22

Preferential Agricultural Assessment
In the 1983 legislative session, O.C.G.A. 48-5-7.1 was passed establishing preferential assessment of tangible real property devoted to bona fide agricultural purposes. By statute, all real property is assessed at 40% of fair market value. However, the new legislation provided for a 30% level of assessment or 75% of the value at which other taxable real property is assessed. The decrease in the level of assessment creates a tax shift7 from those taxpayers taking advantage of this special assessment program to those taxpayers who cannot qualify for special treatment, in the same manner as any exemption for one class of taxpayers shifts the tax burden to another class of property owners. In making application for preferential assessment, qualifying taxpayers must sign a covenant (contract) agreeing to continuously maintain the property in agricultural pursuits for a period of 10 years. Transfers of ownership are allowed provided the property is transferred to another qualifying entity that agrees to continue the property in agricultural pursuits for the remainder of the covenant period. Otherwise, the covenant has been breached and a penalty imposed. Penalties range from 5 times the tax savings if the breach occurs during the first year of the covenant, to a minimum of 2 times the tax savings if the breach occurs during the tenth year of the covenant.
7 Tax Shift - Providing property tax relief to a particular class of taxpayers through valuation reductions or exemptions, resulting in a higher tax burden for other classes of taxpayers. For example, taxpayers in the preferential tax assessment program are afforded an exemption equal to the difference between an assessment of 40% of fair market value and 30% of fair market value, while the property of residential, commercial, industrial, and other classes of taxpayers is assessed at 40% of fair market value only. As a consequence, the other classes of taxpayers are bearing more of the tax burden.
23

Table 5: Preferential Agricultural Assessment Fiscal Impact shows the total number of parcels and the total dollar tax shift, and the percentage change of each category since 1990. The number of parcels that were in the program was highest in 1997 and has been steadily declining since that time.

Year
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Parcels
19,947 23,086 23,243 18,388 17,836 22,226 23,501 23,915 23,340 22,634 22,449 20,582 18,302 16,435 13,020 11,168 8,755 7,274 5,742 5,146 4,612 3,988 3,497 2,965 2,680 2,449

Percent Change
15.70% 0.68% -20.89% -3.00% 24.61% 5.74% 1.76% -2.40% -3.02% -0.82% -8.32% -11.02% -10.20% -3.90% -14.22% -21.61% -16.92% -21.06% -10.38% -10.38% -13.53% -12.31% -15.21% -9.61% -8.62%

Total Value Eliminated $176,780,216 $204,261,412 $180,985,796 $145,151,076 $137,170,751 $165,278,063 $174,157,485 $181,350,311 $189,169,970 $191,204,332 $191,352,938 $195,076,035 $182,041,147 $177,696,254 $194,743,119 $193,012,297 $153,927,964 $139,281,934 $104,297,566 $86,250,878 $72,078,892 $61,697,690 $51,398,078 $42,723,510 $37,974,985 $34,457,047

Percent Change
15.55% -11.40% -19.80% -5.50% 20.49% 5.37% 4.13% 4.31% 1.08% 0.08% 1.95% -6.68% -2.39% 22.80% -0.89% -20.25% -9.51% -25.12% -17.30% -16.43% -14.40% -16.69% -16.88% -11.12% -9.26%

Total Tax Shift $4,010,259 $4,657,783 $4,232,187 $3,542,375 $3,362,403 $4,249,807 $4,410,076 $4,654,542 $4,701,626 $4,760,183 $4,824,066 $5,011,186 $4,768,802 $4,803,802 $4,270,954 $4,175,105 $3,983,907 $3,636,463 $2,725,949 $2,313,513 $1,960,764 $1,691,116 $1,443,467 $1,212,606 $1,082,504 $975,767

Percent Change
16.10% -9.14% -16.30% -5.08% 26.39% 3.77% 5.54% 1.01% 1.25% 1.34% 3.88% -4.84% 0.73% -0.78% -2.24% -4.58% -8.72% -25.04% -15.13% -15.25% -13.75% -14.64% -15.99% -10.73% -9.86%

24

Table 6: Preferential Agricultural Assessment for 2016 illustrates a county-by-county breakdown of the preferential agricultural assessment local impact.

County
Appling Atkinson Bacon Baker Baldwin Banks Barrow Bartow Ben Hill Berrien Bibb Bleckley Brantley Brooks Bryan Bulloch Burke Butts Calhoun Camden Candler Carroll Catoosa Charlton Chatham Chattahoochee Chattooga Cherokee Clarke Clay Clayton Clinch Cobb Coffee Colquitt Columbia Cook Coweta

Parcel Count
803 49 66
111 0 5 0 20 0 2 2 0 0 18 5 4 22 6 23 5 2 16 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 48 3 0 23 0

Assessed Value Eliminated
4,729,230 1,063,096
843,197 2,729,620
0 63,363
0 207,090
0 80,964 12,444
0 0 933,688 77,840 177,679 456,249 461,757 497,174 121,837 31,188 324,649 0 0 0 29,094 59,172 0 0 44,530 0 0 0 1,123,869 44,242 0 235,517 0

County Tax Shift
$60,397 $18,457 $11,573 $27,315
$0 $606
$0 $1,881
$0 $1,353
$182 $0 $0
$12,637 $712
$2,193 $2,779 $5,868 $6,988 $1,698
$377 $2,710
$0 $0 $0 $251 $698 $0 $0 $763 $0 $0 $0 $8,758 $636 $0 $2,803 $0

School Tax Shift
$69,061 $15,746 $12,648 $40,491
$0 $987
$0 $3,976
$0 $1,141
$248 $0 $0
$14,071 $1,206 $1,822 $6,264 $8,341 $8,789 $1,949
$408 $5,844
$0 $0 $0 $495 $816 $0 $0 $587 $0 $0 $0 $18,103 $455 $0 $4,019 $0

Total Tax Shift
$129,458 $34,203 $24,221 $67,806 $0 $1,593 $0 $5,857 $0 $2,494 $430 $0 $0 $26,708 $1,918 $4,015 $9,043 $14,209 $15,777 $3,647 $785 $8,554 $0 $0 $0 $746 $1,514 $0 $0 $1,350 $0 $0 $0 $26,861 $1,091 $0 $6,822 $0

25

County

Parcel Count

Assessed Value Eliminated

County Tax Shift

School Tax Shift

Total Tax Shift

Crawford Crisp Dade Dawson Decatur Dekalb Dodge Dooly Dougherty Douglas Early Echols Effingham Elbert Emanuel Evans Fannin Fayette Floyd Forsyth Franklin Fulton Gilmer Glascock Glynn Gordon Grady Greene Gwinnett Habersham Hall Hancock Haralson Harris Hart Heard Henry Houston Irwin Jackson Jasper Jeff Davis Jefferson

11

184,667

$2,591

$2,955

$5,546

3

106,649

$1,293

$1,861

$3,154

12

181,310

$1,521

$2,812

$4,333

0

0

$0

$0

$0

30

1,047,919

$11,685

$16,197

$27,882

0

0

$0

$0

$0

8

247,925

$2,865

$3,471

$6,336

14

393,477

$7,104

$6,455

$13,559

5

505,040

$6,352

$9,315

$15,667

0

0

$0

$0

$0

23

686,635

$6,970

$11,329

$18,299

7

241,140

$3,617

$4,738

$8,355

1

10,136

$85

$162

$247

2

17,794

$204

$301

$505

11

257,056

$3,028

$3,530

$6,558

45

443,858

$4,093

$6,391

$10,484

0

0

$0

$0

$0

0

0

$0

$0

$0

0

0

$0

$0

$0

0

0

$0

$0

$0

0

0

$0

$0

$0

0

0

$0

$0

$0

12

142,647

$1,210

$2,371

$3,581

5

35,673

$436

$585

$1,021

0

0

$0

$0

$0

39

451,900

$4,453

$8,970

$13,423

5

313,427

$4,279

$4,451

$8,730

0

0

$0

$0

$0

0

0

$0

$0

$0

13

55,674

$592

$804

$1,396

0

0

$0

$0

$0

48

870,346

$14,604

$12,583

$27,187

0

0

$0

$0

$0

0

0

$0

$0

$0

0

0

$0

$0

$0

0

0

$0

$0

$0

1

12,820

$163

$303

$466

0

0

$0

$0

$0

37

453,214

$5,609

$7,111

$12,720

3

19,738

$189

$431

$620

10

57,680

$948

$1,046

$1,994

12

374,729

$5,763

$4,871

$10,634

4

68,319

$1,100

$1,010

$2,110

26

County

Parcel Count

Assessed Value Eliminated

County Tax Shift

School Tax Shift

Total Tax Shift

Jenkins

98

Johnson

0

Jones

1

Lamar

0

Lanier

8

Laurens

0

Lee

7

Liberty

2

Lincoln

0

Long

2

Lowndes

0

Lumpkin

0

Macon

17

Madison

9

Marion

4

McDuffie

3

McIntosh

0

Meriwether

1

Miller

5

Mitchell

46

Monroe

1

Montgomery

9

Morgan

3

Murray

2

Muscogee

9

Newton

0

Oconee

0

Oglethorpe

3

Paulding

0

Peach

3

Pickens

0

Pierce

0

Pike

0

Polk

0

Pulaski

11

Putnam

0

Quitman

0

Rabun

0

Randolph

41

Richmond

1

Rockdale

0

Schley

15

Screven

94

1,982,453 0
14,000 0
202,523 0
951,080 39,120
0 15,800
0 0 337,536 26,652 56,908 45,054 0 8,490 85,589 768,949 5,010 81,829 61,620 29,260 79,674 0 0 56,575 0 163,270 0 0 0 0 336,028 0 0 0 690,541 3,548 0 271,533 627,861

$20,211 $0
$227 $0
$3,216 $0
$13,430 $526 $0 $248 $0 $0
$3,691 $286 $409 $352 $0 $116
$1,327 $15,294
$59 $1,118
$690 $210 $1,247
$0 $0 $431 $0 $2,376 $0 $0 $0 $0 $4,718 $0 $0 $0 $12,160 $35 $0 $3,342 $8,332

$30,496 $0
$277 $0
$3,432 $0
$16,924 $618 $0 $238 $0 $0
$6,221 $453 $925 $887 $0 $163
$1,737 $12,490
$79 $1,161
$941 $454 $1,862
$0 $0 $1,240 $0 $2,776 $0 $0 $0 $0 $4,694 $0 $0 $0 $12,430 $70 $0 $5,153 $9,714

$50,707 $0
$504 $0
$6,648 $0
$30,354 $1,144 $0 $486 $0 $0 $9,912 $739 $1,334 $1,239 $0 $279 $3,064
$27,784 $138
$2,279 $1,631
$664 $3,109
$0 $0 $1,671 $0 $5,152 $0 $0 $0 $0 $9,412 $0 $0 $0 $24,590 $105 $0 $8,495 $18,046

27

County
Seminole Spalding Stephens Stewart Sumter Talbot Taliaferro Tattnall Taylor Telfair Terrell Thomas Tift Toombs Towns Treutlen Troup Turner Twiggs Union Upson Walker Walton Ware Warren Washington Wayne Webster Wheeler White Whitfield Wilcox Wilkes Wilkinson Worth Total

Parcel Count
20 0 0 24 38 3 3 37 5 24 30 4 0 49 0 1 0 6 0 0 0 8 3 125 1 6 15 1 0 2 0 15 22 1 11 2,449

Assessed Value Eliminated
961,040 0 0
293,550 469,800 42,655 32,330 374,891 76,835 155,455 501,694 241,547
0 556,363
0 12,160
0 55,501
0 0 0 211,945 46,892 481,894 9,440 73,613 248,590 17,790 0 32,329 0 291,930 308,231 14,168 478,239 34,457,047

County Tax Shift
$13,208 $0 $0
$3,409 $6,213
$683 $666 $5,570 $625 $2,544 $6,773 $1,895
$0 $4,868
$0 $158
$0 $889
$0 $0 $0 $1,661 $556 $7,555 $122 $714 $2,964 $160 $0 $323 $0 $5,328 $3,754 $176 $6,007 $433,261

School Tax Shift
$15,390 $0 $0
$4,414 $8,575
$602 $582 $5,066 $1,216 $2,408 $8,270 $3,508
$0 $7,679
$0 $158
$0 $888
$0 $0 $0 $3,525 $1,036 $8,157 $183 $1,262 $4,475 $311 $0 $581 $0 $4,411 $5,163 $278 $7,413 $542,506

Total Tax Shift
$28,598 $0 $0
$7,823 $14,788
$1,285 $1,248 $10,636 $1,841 $4,952 $15,043 $5,403
$0 $12,547
$0 $316
$0 $1,777
$0 $0 $0 $5,186 $1,592 $15,712 $305 $1,976 $7,439 $471 $0 $904 $0 $9,739 $8,917 $454 $13,420 $975,767

28

Figure 17: Preferential Agricultural Total Tax Dollar below illustrates the amount of revenue shift and value removed as a result of the Preferential Agricultural Assessment program for the last 10 years.

Millions

$5.0

$3.6 $4.0

$4.0

$2.3

$3.0

$2.0

$2.7

$1.7

$1.2

$1.0

$1.0

$2.0

$1.4

$1.1

$0.0

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Figure 18: Preferential Agricultural Assessed Value Eliminated below illustrates the amount of revenue shift and value removed as a result of the Preferential Agricultural Assessment program for the last 10 years.

Millions

$200.0 $150.0 $100.0
$50.0 $-

$153.9 $139.3
2007 2008

$104.3 $86.3
2009 2010

$72.1 $61.7
2011 2012

$51.4

$38.0 $34.5

$42.7

2013 2014 2015 2016

29

Conservation Use Valuation
In 1991 the Legislature embraced the "current use" valuation concept by providing for the assessment of certain qualifying properties based on current use value rather than fair market value. The legislation also provided for the Commissioner to annually develop a table of current use values to be used in all counties. The table of current use values is based upon a specific formula which takes into account the amount of income the land is capable of producing when growing certain crops and timber and factors found in market data using only farmer-to-farmer land sales. The data is grouped into nine agricultural districts in Georgia. Unlike the Preferential Agricultural Assessment Program in which assessments are based on 30% of fair market value rather than 40%, the valuation of property in Conservation Use Covenants is most significant in the urban areas of north Georgia and other parts of the State where strong residential and commercial development is occurring. As a result, agricultural landowners' tax savings are generally greatest in these transitional areas. The effect of this special assessment program is a tax shift8 from those taxpayers taking advantage of this special assessment program to those taxpayers who cannot qualify for special treatment, just as any exemption for one class of taxpayers shifts the tax burden to other classes of taxpayers. Several reports, graphs, and charts are being included in this report to show the fiscal impact of Conservation Use Valuation.
8 Tax Shift - Providing property tax relief to a particular class of taxpayers through valuation reductions or exemptions, resulting in a higher tax burden for other classes of taxpayers. For example, agricultural property owners qualifying for Conservation Use Assessment are afforded an exemption equal to the difference between fair market value and current use value, while the property of residential, commercial, industrial, and other classes of taxpayers is assessed at fair market value only. As a consequence, the other classes of taxpayers are bearing more of the tax burden.
30

Table 7: Conservation Use Fiscal Impact below represents the 10 counties, ranked by total tax shift,
most affected by Conservation Use Assessment. The table lists, by county, the number of applications (parcel count), and assessed value eliminated from the digest, amount of tax shift for each of the tax types, and the total tax shift.

County
Hall Cherokee Meriwether Worth Lumpkin Brooks Jackson Oconee Mitchell Gordon

Real Parcel
2,260 1,926 2,561 2,076 1,571 1,841 2,742 2,032 1,878 2,400

Assessed Value Eliminated 276,258,190 240,152,240 165,526,120 183,161,408 161,648,538 148,314,327 150,131,418 170,059,254 102,503,868 124,872,988

County Tax Shift $1,579,092
1,364,065 $2,262,577 $2,300,507 $1,970,106 $2,008,758 $1,459,037 $1,142,626 $2,038,802 $1,230,374

School Tax Shift
$5,111,049 4,670,961
$3,187,205 $2,839,002 $2,718,767 $2,235,097 $2,771,626 $2,891,007 $1,686,674 $2,459,473

Total Tax Shift
$6,690,141 6,035,026
$5,449,782 $5,139,509 $4,688,873 $4,243,855 $4,230,663 $4,033,633 $3,725,476 $3,689,847

31

Table 8: Conservation Use Valuation Assessment for Tax Year 2016 lists each county and the
number of parcels receiving Conservation Use Assessment, the amount of value eliminated from the taxable digest in each county, the tax dollar shift for State, County, School, and the total tax dollar shift.

County
Appling Atkinson Bacon Baker Baldwin Banks Barrow Bartow Ben Hill Berrien Bibb Bleckley Brantley Brooks Bryan Bulloch Burke Butts Calhoun Camden Candler Carroll Catoosa Charlton Chatham Chattahoochee Chattooga Cherokee Clarke Clay Clayton Clinch Cobb Coffee Colquitt Columbia Cook

Real Parcel
110 949 959 294 890 1,856 1,385 1,237 649 1,876 516 830 1,019 1,841 323 2,795 1,746 1,183 551 951 1,075 2,546 589 798 172 92 1,399 1,926 391 506 212 430 557 2,425 2,690 4,969 1,239

Assessed Value Eliminated
1,935,090 12,972,042 32,714,926 14,154,601 37,242,182 68,995,646 88,709,766 66,959,121 24,625,371 63,803,405 20,316,342 35,544,407 21,670,149 148,314,327 12,896,453 75,750,831 90,105,068 73,041,303 31,273,554 29,397,244 36,713,355 76,989,308 33,807,219 14,617,477 13,908,560 2,191,613 39,010,717 240,152,240 27,953,987 15,759,919 14,756,663 15,876,443 60,573,772 131,767,908 128,076,002 76,730,124 63,426,674

County Tax Shift
$24,713 $225,208 $449,045 $141,815 $366,835 $660,012 $841,683 $608,897 $373,444 $1,066,155 $297,675 $535,448 $322,025 $2,008,758 $117,383 $920,728 $549,115 $928,282 $440,249 $409,798 $443,022 $642,309 $246,624 $277,294 $160,547
$18,922 $461,340 $1,364,065 $389,958 $270,188 $244,902 $173,895 $417,353 $1,026,867 $1,843,288 $503,043 $754,777

School Tax Shift
$28,258 $192,129 $490,724 $209,969 $635,352 $1,074,262 $1,641,131 $1,257,153 $445,153 $899,500 $405,209 $510,027 $369,043 $2,235,097 $199,766 $776,749 $1,237,143 $1,319,418 $552,854 $470,356 $480,064 $1,379,499 $631,925 $255,075 $231,313
$37,303 $534,414 $4,670,961 $559,080 $207,731 $281,778 $292,127 $1,111,171 $2,122,517 $1,316,749 $1,404,161 $1,082,376

Total Tax Shift
$52,971 $417,337 $939,769 $351,784 $1,002,187 $1,734,274 $2,482,814 $1,866,050 $818,597 $1,965,655 $702,884 $1,045,475 $691,068 $4,243,855 $317,149 $1,697,477 $1,786,258 $2,247,700 $993,103 $880,154 $923,086 $2,021,808 $878,549 $532,369 $391,860
$56,225 $995,754 $6,035,026 $949,038 $477,919 $526,680 $466,022 $1,528,524 $3,149,384 $3,160,037 $1,907,204 $1,837,153

32

County
Coweta Crawford Crisp Dade Dawson Decatur Dekalb Dodge Dooly Dougherty Douglas Early Echols Effingham Elbert Emanuel Evans Fannin Fayette Floyd Forsyth Franklin Fulton Gilmer Glascock Glynn Gordon Grady Greene Gwinnett Habersham Hall Hancock Haralson Harris Hart Heard Henry Houston Irwin Jackson Jasper Jeff Davis

Real Parcel
2,117 984 971 586 994
1,721 14
1,787 1,561
255 345 1,669 327 2,084 1,651 2,245 361 1,789 593 2,403 723 2,584 598 2,129 584 209 2,400 2,226 1,324 788 1,870 2,260 1,435 1,382 1,858 1,872 1,432 1,537 831 1,628 2,742 1,622 1,035

Assessed Value Eliminated 125,783,527 22,417,387 41,163,076 23,275,559 110,998,640 134,633,415 446,500 39,097,512 85,029,654 23,147,561 23,338,399 83,325,898 10,147,637 78,227,347 51,209,692 58,987,074 11,579,073 107,701,940 34,989,573 67,302,386 133,033,510 107,708,206 65,099,450 116,231,055 13,892,384 19,001,179 124,872,988 103,287,250 73,729,372 112,688,160 130,026,100 276,258,190 60,622,556 48,228,787 136,572,036 72,831,509 35,209,093 80,470,385 70,720,981 67,996,140 150,131,418 93,216,441 26,095,128

County Tax Shift
$791,169 $314,658 $498,896 $195,559 $903,307 $1,506,335
$4,461 $451,811 $1,535,210 $291,127 $262,954 $845,758 $152,215 $652,181 $586,556 $694,809 $106,228 $495,860 $172,044 $646,103 $806,316 $1,166,984 $696,564 $985,988 $170,043 $109,536 $1,230,374 $1,410,181 $400,945 $796,255 $1,381,657 $1,579,092 $1,017,246 $599,002 $838,552 $458,839 $244,351 $1,017,357 $703,674 $841,520 $1,459,037 $1,533,038 $401,343

School Tax Shift
$2,338,316 $358,678 $718,296 $360,981
$1,751,337 $2,080,894
$10,439 $547,365 $1,394,826 $426,957 $490,106 $1,374,877 $199,371 $1,250,934 $865,290 $810,128 $166,727 $1,333,350 $738,280 $1,244,994 $2,623,155 $1,951,457 $1,173,214 $1,931,760 $227,696 $311,964 $2,459,473 $1,466,679 $985,614 $2,443,920 $1,878,877 $5,111,049 $876,420 $803,625 $2,534,777 $998,738 $550,776 $1,901,354 $943,418 $1,066,859 $2,771,626 $1,690,946 $339,237

Total Tax Shift
$3,129,485 $673,336
$1,217,192 $556,540
$2,654,644 $3,587,229
$14,900 $999,176 $2,930,036 $718,084 $753,060 $2,220,635 $351,586 $1,903,115 $1,451,846 $1,504,937 $272,955 $1,829,210 $910,324 $1,891,097 $3,429,471 $3,118,441 $1,869,778 $2,917,748 $397,739 $421,500 $3,689,847 $2,876,860 $1,386,559 $3,240,175 $3,260,534 $6,690,141 $1,893,666 $1,402,627 $3,373,329 $1,457,577 $795,127 $2,918,711 $1,647,092 $1,908,379 $4,230,663 $3,223,984 $740,580

33

County
Jefferson Jenkins Johnson Jones Lamar Lanier Laurens Lee Liberty Lincoln Long Lowndes Lumpkin Macon Madison Marion McDuffie McIntosh Meriwether Miller Mitchell Monroe Montgomery Morgan Murray Muscogee Newton Oconee Oglethorpe Paulding Peach Pickens Pierce Pike Polk Pulaski Putnam Quitman Rabun Randolph Richmond Rockdale Schley

Real Parcel

Assessed Value Eliminated

County Tax Shift

School Tax Shift

Total Tax Shift

1,751 882
1,376 1,274 1,050
662 2,609
600 197 980 577 1,321 1,571 1,337 2,358 932 1,007 206 2,561 867 1,878 1,527 1,101 1,700 931 122 1,011 2,032 1,944 1,569 634 662 1,479 1,673 1,188 644 727 287 733 1,144 214 379 561

72,090,153 45,306,251 19,871,542 85,058,619 53,402,416 29,756,554 62,605,457 66,011,213 7,555,799 28,230,078 23,262,678 76,814,169 161,648,538 53,267,151 97,243,000 38,428,113 58,724,003 7,864,823 165,526,120 41,331,610 102,503,868 91,282,782 21,079,174 108,072,274 44,743,605 12,269,754 59,723,161 170,059,254 48,667,676 105,900,857 50,041,551 50,693,154 55,024,445 73,483,611 42,202,485 13,831,718 52,639,801 10,277,034 62,463,446 49,385,239 9,869,351 12,037,029 26,598,865

$1,160,796 $461,897 $305,008
$1,378,005 $619,041 $472,534 $450,196 $932,144 $101,566 $287,608 $365,108 $676,731
$1,970,106 $580,789
$1,043,785 $276,680 $458,453 $77,791
$2,262,577 $640,640
$2,038,802 $1,079,967
$287,836 $1,209,761
$321,928 $155,943 $775,804 $1,142,626 $371,108 $874,529 $728,355 $403,011 $581,751 $1,025,537 $466,802 $194,197 $438,346 $163,343 $570,916 $868,392
$96,660 $243,028 $327,352

$1,065,492 $696,946 $294,814
$1,683,140 $999,480 $504,195 $918,919
$1,174,670 $119,299 $563,952 $350,871
$1,292,559 $2,718,767
$981,767 $1,652,159
$624,687 $1,156,276
$123,344 $3,187,205
$838,742 $1,686,674 $1,442,268
$298,772 $1,649,615
$693,526 $286,744 $1,194,463 $2,891,007 $1,066,406 $1,999,302 $850,706 $810,077 $918,908 $1,311,315 $681,612 $193,215 $751,960 $164,885 $606,645 $888,934 $194,959 $304,778 $504,820

$2,226,288 $1,158,843
$599,822 $3,061,145 $1,618,521
$976,729 $1,369,115 $2,106,814
$220,865 $851,560 $715,979 $1,969,290 $4,688,873 $1,562,556 $2,695,944 $901,367 $1,614,729 $201,135 $5,449,782 $1,479,382 $3,725,476 $2,522,235 $586,608 $2,859,376 $1,015,454 $442,687 $1,970,267 $4,033,633 $1,437,514 $2,873,831 $1,579,061 $1,213,088 $1,500,659 $2,336,852 $1,148,414 $387,412 $1,190,306 $328,228 $1,177,561 $1,757,326 $291,619 $547,806 $832,172

34

County
Screven Seminole Spalding Stephens Stewart Sumter Talbot Taliaferro Tattnall Taylor Telfair Terrell Thomas Tift Toombs Towns Treutlen Troup Turner Twiggs Union Upson Walker Walton Ware Warren Washington Wayne Webster Wheeler White Whitfield Wilcox Wilkes Wilkinson Worth Total

Real Parcel
1,730 866 806 686 335
1,264 1,476
668 1,784 1,358 1,274 1,059 1,369 1,088
911 527 634 1,500 1,384 1,083 1,328 1,454 1,310 1,250 921 754 1,560 1,795 520 1,066 1,492 800 1,430 1,788 1,069 2,076 194,175

Assessed Value Eliminated
64,358,050 79,214,787 44,952,212 21,677,692 10,699,752 62,741,463 37,432,973 15,534,601 50,451,570 34,513,321 31,671,500 41,785,511 160,755,664 62,738,900 26,850,189 23,176,471 11,387,042 91,867,197 51,266,405 35,160,862 110,292,138 42,022,011 49,246,516 76,118,448 28,746,534 24,488,636 43,870,210 76,090,221 25,666,236 27,789,203 97,514,188 33,984,264 22,316,782 62,783,449 37,442,866 183,161,408 9,560,075,670

County Tax Shift
$854,096 $1,088,649
$703,952 $290,698 $124,256 $829,755 $599,077 $320,381 $749,609 $280,792 $518,304 $564,104 $1,262,785 $764,348 $234,885 $124,574 $147,576 $999,240 $821,237 $583,670 $638,371 $410,555 $386,625 $900,929 $450,659 $317,324 $425,453 $907,224 $230,996 $469,995 $973,192 $324,924 $407,281 $764,414 $465,789 $2,300,507 $102,604,467

School Tax Shift
$995,683 $1,268,546
$834,763 $396,702 $160,871 $1,145,220 $528,142 $279,530 $681,803 $546,346 $490,687 $688,792 $2,333,248 $1,127,042 $369,634 $184,415 $148,032 $1,731,697 $820,262 $583,670 $1,300,013 $647,979 $818,753 $1,640,218 $486,564 $475,080 $751,848 $1,369,624 $448,312 $436,735 $1,753,500 $628,711 $337,207 $1,051,623 $735,453 $2,839,002 $160,426,899

Total Tax Shift
$1,849,779 $2,357,195 $1,538,715
$687,400 $285,127 $1,974,975 $1,127,219 $599,911 $1,431,412 $827,138 $1,008,991 $1,252,896 $3,596,033 $1,891,390 $604,519 $308,989 $295,608 $2,730,937 $1,641,499 $1,167,340 $1,938,384 $1,058,534 $1,205,378 $2,541,147 $937,223 $792,404 $1,177,301 $2,276,848 $679,308 $906,730 $2,726,692 $953,635 $744,488 $1,816,037 $1,201,242 $5,139,509 $263,031,366

35

Figures 19: Conservation Use Revenue Shift illustrates the amount of revenue shift and the amount
of value removed annually from digests affected by the Conservation Use Valuation program since 2007.

Millions

350.0 300.0 250.0 200.0

$267.4

$295.1

$269.2

$228.6

$292.1

$283.2

$261.3

$261.5 $263.0
$265.5

150.0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Figures 20: Conservation Use Assessed Value Eliminated below illustrates the amount of revenue
shift and the ever increasing amount of value removed annually from digests affected by the Conservation Use Valuation program since 2007.

Billions

$14.0

$12.0

11.6

10.8

9.2 $10.0

11.5

10.8

$8.0

9.6 10.1

9.6 9.6

9.5

$6.0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

36

Forest Land Conservation Use
The Georgia Forest Land Protection Act of 2008 provides for current use valuation of property primarily used for the good faith subsistence or commercial production of trees, timber, or other wood and wood fiber products.
The assessment of qualifying properties is based on current use value rather than fair market value. The bill also provided for the Commissioner to annually develop a table of current use values to be used in all counties. It is based upon a legislated formula which takes into account the amount of income the land is capable of producing when growing timber and factors found in market data using comparable sales with and for the same existing use.
This 15-year covenant agreement between the taxpayer and the local board of assessors is limited to forest land tracts consisting of more than 200 contiguous acres when owned by an individual or individuals or by any entity registered to do business in Georgia. For tax year 2016 a covenant breach is subject to a penalty in an amount equal to two times the tax savings.
The effect of any special assessment program is a tax shift9 from those taxpayers taking advantage of this special assessment program to those taxpayers who cannot qualify for special treatment, just as any exemption for one class of taxpayers shifts the tax burden to other classes of taxpayers. To lessen the fiscal impact on local taxing jurisdictions there is a grant component associated with this program. A grant is paid to the taxing authorities to reimburse up to one-half of the first 3% of revenue loss and 100% of the revenue loss over 3% as a result of taxpayers enrolling property in this program. Several reports, graphs, and charts show the fiscal impact of Forest Land Conservation Use Valuation.
9 Tax Shift - Providing property tax relief to a particular class of taxpayers through valuation reductions or exemptions, resulting in a higher tax burden for other classes of taxpayers. For example, agricultural property owners qualifying for Conservation Use Assessment are afforded an exemption equal to the difference between 7 market value and current use value, while the property of residential, commercial, industrial, and other classes of taxpayers is assessed at fair market value only. As a consequence, the other classes of taxpayers are bearing more of the tax burden.
37

Table 9: Forest Land Conservation Use Fiscal Impact below represents the 10 counties, ranked by
total net tax shift, most affected by Forest land Conservation Use Assessment. The table lists, by county, the number of applications (parcel count), assessed value eliminated from the digest, amount of net tax shift for each of the tax types, and the total tax shift.

County

County Tax Shift

FLPA Grant County

WORTH

$463,769 $78,186

WARE

$354,022

$0

MERIWETHER $313,716 $144,140

DOUGHERTY

$331,985 $145,661

LOWNDES

$212,943 $78,215

LEE

$350,757 $189,175

HANCOCK

$293,041 $97,699

WAYNE

$654,791 $527,280

TWIGGS

$166,986 $19,866

MCINTOSH

$100,340 $4,666

Net County
Shift

School Tax Shift

FLPA Grant School

Net School Tax Shift

Total Tax Shift

Total FLPA Grant

$385,583

$572,326 $96,488 $475,838 $1,036,095 $174,674

$354,022

$382,227

$0

$382,227 $736,249

$0

$169,576

$441,919 $97,937 $343,982 $755,635 $242,077

$186,324

$486,877 $213,621 $273,256 $818,862 $359,282

$134,729

$397,408 $116,843 $280,565 $610,351 $195,058

$161,582

$442,017 $233,036 $208,981 $792,774 $422,211

$195,342

$252,472 $85,123 $167,349 $545,513 $182,822

$127,510

$988,529 $819,167 $169,362 $1,643,320 $1,346,447

$147,120

$166,986 $19,866 $147,120 $333,972 $39,731

$95,674

$159,097 $7,398

$151,699 $259,437 $12,064

Net Tax Shift
$861,421 $736,249 $513,558 $459,580 $415,293 $370,564 $362,691 $296,873 $294,240 $247,373

38

Table 10: Forest Land Conservation Use Valuation Assessment for Tax Year 2016 lists each
county and the number of parcels receiving Forest Land Conservation Use Assessment, the amount of value eliminated from the taxable digest in each county, the gross tax dollar shift for State, County, and School, the amount of the reimbursement grant paid to the County and School and the net tax shift for the taxing jurisdictions after the application of the grant. This table does not include amounts paid to municipalities or special taxing districts.
39

County

Parcel Assessed Value

Count

Eliminated

APPLING

2

ATKINSON

22

BACON

44

BAKER

54

BALDWIN

37

BANKS

3

BARROW

0

BARTOW

4

BEN HILL

84

BERRIEN

55

BIBB

20

BLECKLEY

29

BRANTLEY

97

BROOKS

138

BRYAN

48

BULLOCH

22

BURKE

152

BUTTS

27

CALHOUN

76

CAMDEN

93

CANDLER

33

CARROLL

9

CATOOSA

0

CHARLTON

48

CHATHAM

20

CHATTAHOOCHEE

10

CHATTOOGA

29

CHEROKEE

4

CLARKE

0

CLAY

42

CLAYTON

0

CLINCH

118

COBB

0

COFFEE

34

COLQUITT

56

COLUMBIA

493

COOK

25

COWETA

30

CRAWFORD

119

CRISP

55

DADE

0

DAWSON

3

DECATUR

187

DEKALB

0

70,799 1,079,407 2,081,905 23,867,661 2,153,388
557,654 0
622,034 7,084,362 9,408,183 1,744,528 2,896,559 8,830,818 46,495,072 3,822,094 1,302,180 17,386,069 7,023,571 17,190,474 9,394,194 2,163,716 1,374,675
0 6,683,209 4,615,240
792,806 3,197,489 1,466,960
0 2,007,202
0 45,420,936
0 6,919,091 7,344,758 15,795,611 3,775,638 1,273,684 4,359,753 3,420,326
0 1,167,669 29,650,883
0

County Tax Shift
$904 $18,740 $28,576 $238,954 $21,211
$5,335 $0
$5,605 $107,434 $157,211
$25,561 $43,637 $130,837 $629,264 $34,735 $16,069 $105,916 $89,263 $241,620 $130,955 $26,144 $11,477
$0 $126,780
$53,273 $6,845
$37,698 $8,332 $0
$34,411 $0
$497,496 $0
$53,920 $105,522 $103,556
$44,930 $8,008
$61,167 $41,454
$0 $9,502 $331,631
$0

FLPA Grant County
$142 $18,369 $2,927 $239,411 $27,402 $9,933
$0 $0 $38,690 $83,003 $2,343 $16,872 $158,886 $913,943 $17,706 $12,171 $72,048 $44,631 $360,187 $73,333 $29,697 $3,245 $0 $219,323 $57,375 $3,900 $40,052 $6,295 $0 $56,316 $0 $757,495 $0 $39,232 $72,410 $62,005 $21,300 $10,137 $101,483 $18,268 $0 $10,598 $624,709 $0

Net County Shift
$763 $370 $25,649 ($457) ($6,191) ($4,598)
$0 $5,604 $68,745 $74,208 $23,218 $26,765 ($28,049) ($284,678) $17,029 $3,898 $33,868 $44,631 ($118,567) $57,622 ($3,552) $8,233
$0 ($92,542)
($4,102) $2,945 ($2,353) $2,037
$0 ($21,904)
$0 ($259,999)
$0 $14,689 $33,112 $41,551 $23,630 ($2,129) ($40,316) $23,186
$0 ($1,095) ($293,078)
$0

School Tax Shift
$1,034 $15,987 $31,229 $354,053 $36,737
$8,683 $0
$11,943 $128,064 $132,637
$34,795 $41,563 $150,389 $700,681 $59,204 $13,353 $238,711 $126,874 $303,893 $150,307 $28,293 $24,746
$0 $116,622
$76,756 $13,494 $44,071 $28,532
$0 $26,457
$0 $835,745
$0 $111,453
$75,511 $289,060
$64,431 $23,678 $69,756 $59,685
$0 $18,423 $458,284
$0

FLPA Grant School
$162 $15,671 $3,199 $353,723 $47,459 $16,167
$0 $0 $46,119 $70,028 $3,189 $16,070 $139,831 $1,018,521 $37,324 $9,670 $162,379 $63,437 $454,546 $84,170 $30,895 $6,996 $0 $201,749 $82,665 $7,688 $93,644 $21,557 $0 $45,354 $0 $1,272,895 $0 $81,091 $51,816 $178,719 $28,756 $29,978 $115,218 $26,302 $0 $20,547 $791,226 $0

Net School Tax Shift

Total Tax Shift

$872 $316 $28,031 $330 ($10,722) ($7,484)
$0 $11,943 $81,945 $62,609 $31,606 $25,493 $10,558 ($317,840) $21,880
$3,683 $76,332 $63,437 ($150,653) $66,137 ($2,602) $17,750
$0 ($85,127)
($5,909) $5,806 ($49,573) $6,975
$0 ($18,897)
$0 ($437,150)
$0 $30,362 $23,695 $110,341 $35,675 ($6,300) ($45,462) $33,383
$0 ($2,124) ($332,942)
$0

$1,938 $34,727 $59,805 $593,007 $57,948 $14,018
$0 $17,548 $235,498 $289,848 $60,356 $85,200 $281,226 $1,329,945 $93,939 $29,422 $344,627 $216,137 $545,513 $281,262 $54,437 $36,223
$0 $243,402 $130,029
$20,339 $81,769 $36,864
$0 $60,868
$0 $1,333,241
$0 $165,373 $181,033 $392,616 $109,361
$31,686 $130,923 $101,139
$0 $27,925 $789,915
$0

Total FLPA Grant
$304 $34,040 $6,125 $593,134 $74,860 $26,099
$0 $0 $84,808 $153,031 $5,532 $32,942 $298,718 $1,932,464 $55,030 $21,841 $234,427 $108,068 $814,733 $157,502 $60,592 $10,240 $0 $421,071 $140,040 $11,588 $133,696 $27,852 $0 $101,670 $0 $2,030,389 $0 $120,323 $124,226 $240,724 $50,056 $40,116 $216,701 $44,570 $0 $31,145 $1,415,935 $0

Net Tax Shift
$1,635 $686
$53,680 ($127)
($16,913) ($12,082)
$0 $17,547 $150,690 $136,817 $54,824 $52,257 ($17,492) ($602,519) $38,909
$7,581 $110,200 $108,068 ($269,220) $123,759
($6,154) $25,983
$0 ($177,669)
($10,011) $8,751
($51,926) $9,012 $0
($40,802) $0
($697,149) $0
$45,050 $56,807 $151,893 $59,305 ($8,430) ($85,778) $56,569
$0 ($3,219) ($626,020)
$0

County
DODGE DOOLY DOUGHERTY DOUGLAS EARLY ECHOLS EFFINGHAM ELBERT EMANUEL EVANS FANNIN FAYETTE FLOYD FORSYTH FRANKLIN FULTON GILMER GLASCOCK GLYNN GORDON GRADY GREENE GWINNETT HABERSHAM HALL HANCOCK HARALSON HARRIS HART HEARD HENRY HOUSTON IRWIN JACKSON JASPER JEFF DAVIS JEFFERSON JENKINS JOHNSON JONES LAMAR LANIER LAURENS LEE

Parcel Assessed Value

Count

Eliminated

92

4,567,302

96

9,262,641

53

26,396,175

1

556,152

295

26,540,252

53

5,786,531

84

13,887,541

25

3,688,017

161

11,274,414

13

999,491

3

782,480

0

0

77

3,606,677

0

0

2

29,039

45

11,482,190

6

2,413,125

53

2,363,749

78

12,322,004

9

2,219,720

53

12,915,363

114

14,728,590

0

0

6

1,339,912

2

3,127,839

214

17,463,680

51

6,456,114

124

21,631,103

0

0

61

7,025,514

0

0

52

9,017,087

32

2,163,628

1

175,450

89

19,293,626

66

6,051,993

115

8,890,961

109

15,169,208

76

1,473,030

111

19,567,386

26

4,062,801

36

6,388,642

91

4,022,204

81

24,839,411

County Tax Shift
$52,780 $167,237 $331,985
$6,266 $269,384
$86,798 $115,780
$42,243 $132,802
$9,096 $3,603
$0 $34,624
$0 $314 $122,859 $20,471 $28,932 $69,903 $21,871 $176,333 $79,829
$0 $14,238 $17,879 $293,041 $80,185 $132,815
$0 $48,757
$0 $89,720 $26,777
$1,684 $317,303
$93,080 $143,162 $154,650
$22,609 $316,933
$47,096 $101,452
$28,924 $350,757

FLPA Grant County
$58,508 $68,503 $145,661 $3,584 $422,684 $78,038 $37,644 $47,092 $149,156 $7,176 $3,736
$0 $27,306
$0 $7,589 $95,971 $26,502 $72,411 $34,951 $14,431 $116,794 $163,346
$0 $10,187 $10,586 $97,699 $74,176 $173,045
$0 $48,353
$0 $71,869 $13,642 $1,237 $693,586 $6,418 $254,385 $171,787 $92,986 $252,304 $25,204 $92,259 $20,785 $189,175

Net County Shift
($5,728) $98,734 $186,324
$2,682 ($153,300)
$8,760 $78,137 ($4,849) ($16,354)
$1,920 ($134)
$0 $7,318
$0 ($7,275) $26,888 ($6,032) ($43,479) $34,951 $7,440 $59,539 ($83,517)
$0 $4,051 $7,293 $195,342 $6,009 ($40,230)
$0 $404
$0 $17,851 $13,135
$447 ($376,283)
$86,661 ($111,223)
($17,137) ($70,376) $64,629 $21,892
$9,193 $8,138 $161,582

School Tax Shift
$63,942 $151,944 $486,877
$11,679 $437,914 $113,688 $222,076
$62,316 $154,843
$14,392 $9,687 $0
$67,012 $0
$526 $212,225
$40,106 $38,742 $199,087 $44,061 $183,398 $196,892
$0 $19,362 $58,803 $252,472 $107,946 $401,473
$0 $109,900
$0 $120,288
$33,947 $3,357
$349,986 $78,676
$131,408 $233,348
$21,854 $387,199
$76,039 $108,249
$59,058 $442,017

FLPA Grant School
$70,882 $62,238 $213,621 $6,298 $663,751 $80,841 $72,203 $69,470 $175,063 $11,365 $10,046
$0 $52,847
$0 $4,529 $169,745 $63,077 $97,082 $99,543 $29,072 $122,716 $403,574
$0 $13,854 $34,818 $85,123 $98,446 $499,883
$0 $109,360
$0 $96,355 $17,296 $2,466 $766,031 $5,425 $234,375 $259,672 $90,447 $257,850 $36,345 $98,840 $42,441 $233,036

Net School Tax Shift

Total Tax Shift

($6,940) $89,706 $273,256
$5,381 ($225,837)
$32,847 $149,873
($7,154) ($20,220)
$3,028 ($359)
$0 $14,166
$0 ($4,003) $42,480 ($22,971) ($58,340) $99,544 $14,989 $60,682 ($206,682)
$0 $5,508 $23,985 $167,349 $9,500 ($98,410)
$0 $540
$0 $23,933 $16,651
$891 ($416,045)
$73,251 ($102,967)
($26,324) ($68,593) $129,349 $39,694
$9,409 $16,617 $208,981

$116,722 $319,181 $818,862
$17,945 $707,298 $200,486 $337,856 $104,559 $287,645
$23,488 $13,290
$0 $101,636
$0 $840 $335,084 $60,577 $67,674 $268,990 $65,932 $359,731 $276,721
$0 $33,600 $76,682 $545,513 $188,131 $534,288
$0 $158,657
$0 $210,008
$60,724 $5,041
$667,289 $171,756 $274,570 $387,998
$44,463 $704,132 $123,135 $209,701
$87,982 $792,774

Total FLPA Grant
$129,390 $130,741 $359,282
$9,883 $1,086,435 $158,879 $109,847 $116,562 $324,219
$18,541 $13,783
$0 $80,152
$0 $12,119 $265,717 $89,579 $169,493 $134,495 $43,503 $239,510 $566,920
$0 $24,041 $45,404 $182,822 $172,622 $672,929
$0 $157,714
$0 $168,224 $30,938
$3,703 $1,459,617
$11,843 $488,760 $431,460 $183,433 $510,154 $61,549 $191,099 $63,226 $422,211

Net Tax Shift
($12,668) $188,440 $459,580
$8,063 ($379,137)
$41,607 $228,010 ($12,003) ($36,574)
$4,948 ($493)
$0 $21,484
$0 ($11,279) $69,367 ($29,003) ($101,819) $134,495 $22,429 $120,221 ($290,199)
$0 $9,558 $31,278 $362,691 $15,508 ($138,640)
$0 $943
$0 $41,784 $29,786
$1,338 ($792,328) $159,912 ($214,190)
($43,461) ($138,969) $193,978
$61,586 $18,602 $24,756 $370,564

County
LIBERTY LINCOLN LONG LOWNDES LUMPKIN MACON MADISON MARION MCDUFFIE MCINTOSH MERIWETHER MILLER MITCHELL MONROE MONTGOMERY MORGAN MURRAY MUSCOGEE NEWTON OCONEE OGLETHORPE PAULDING PEACH PICKENS PIERCE PIKE POLK PULASKI PUTNAM QUITMAN RABUN RANDOLPH RICHMOND ROCKDALE SCHLEY SCREVEN SEMINOLE SPALDING STEPHENS STEWART SUMTER TALBOT TALIAFERRO TATTNALL

Parcel Assessed Value

Count

Eliminated

46

5,209,244

30

904,072

87

11,048,971

57

23,728,939

3

2,055,050

53

3,567,282

13

1,429,128

200

23,289,835

60

5,668,170

41

10,144,566

118

22,950,863

35

4,626,920

39

3,507,263

121

13,851,897

43

2,584,778

124

16,301,599

7

1,832,019

1

26,605

15

8,092,198

2

330,990

116

5,272,512

7

2,656,933

9

1,748,885

10

4,485,849

32

1,868,733

19

4,442,305

28

2,393,756

23

1,677,451

52

7,469,466

128

13,428,198

0

0

152

13,184,614

15

1,922,270

0

0

62

7,739,710

189

15,506,539

32

12,116,930

11

285,445

1

292,812

282

15,857,259

107

11,035,074

215

10,550,788

154

9,737,361

52

4,541,273

County Tax Shift
$70,065 $9,211
$173,413 $212,943
$25,031 $38,812 $15,326 $167,500 $44,212 $100,340 $313,716 $71,717 $69,759 $163,882 $35,295 $182,480 $13,180
$317 $105,117
$2,213 $40,145 $21,941 $25,455 $35,663 $19,734 $61,997 $26,477 $23,551 $62,151 $213,428
$0 $231,733
$18,827 $0
$95,253 $205,787 $166,523
$4,470 $3,927 $184,150 $145,939 $168,855 $200,578 $67,474

FLPA Grant County
$0 $10,024 $167,640 $78,215 $41,134 $53,320 $7,663 $211,473 $34,047 $4,666 $144,140 $27,882 $35,537 $478,149 $28,084 $800,052 $9,216
$149 $72,898 $1,851 $74,398 $27,279 $13,483 $24,521 $13,388 $48,884
$0 $18,345 $66,409 $407,017
$0 $320,026 $16,941
$0 $6,207 $340,259 $152,914 $2,789 $3,700 $187,480 $104,006 $323,378 $536,349 $46,963

Net County Shift
$70,065 ($813) $5,774
$134,729 ($16,104) ($14,508)
$7,663 ($43,973) $10,164 $95,674 $169,576 $43,835 $34,223 ($314,267)
$7,211 ($617,572)
$3,964 $168
$32,219 $362
($34,253) ($5,338) $11,972 $11,142 $6,346 $13,113 $26,477 $5,207 ($4,257)
($193,590) $0
($88,293) $1,886 $0
$89,046 ($134,472)
$13,609 $1,681 $226 ($3,329)
$41,933 ($154,523) ($335,771)
$20,511

School Tax Shift
$82,249 $18,061 $166,652 $397,408 $34,564 $65,749 $24,281 $378,600 $111,606 $159,097 $441,919 $93,894 $57,814 $218,860 $36,675 $248,828 $28,396
$622 $158,706
$5,627 $115,531
$50,160 $29,731 $71,684 $31,208 $79,273 $38,662 $23,432 $106,701 $215,442
$0 $237,323
$37,973 $0
$146,892 $239,902 $194,041
$5,301 $5,358 $238,414 $201,423 $148,861 $175,214 $61,371

FLPA Grant School
$0 $16,726 $144,305 $116,843 $56,801 $83,499 $12,140 $428,564 $85,947 $7,398 $97,937 $35,304 $29,451 $638,821 $29,182 $1,091,420 $19,856
$311 $112,238
$4,708 $185,873 $79,232 $15,748 $49,288 $21,173 $56,559
$0 $18,252 $114,060 $361,363
$0 $353,756 $31,645
$0 $8,412 $397,543 $179,231 $3,308 $5,050 $242,954 $133,354 $285,727 $468,304 $42,715

Net School Tax Shift

Total Tax Shift

$82,249 $1,335
$22,347 $280,565 ($22,237) ($17,750)
$12,141 ($49,964) $25,659 $151,699 $343,982 $58,590 $28,363 ($419,961)
$7,493 ($842,592)
$8,540 $311
$46,468 $919
($70,342) ($29,072) $13,983 $22,396 $10,035 $22,714 $38,662
$5,180 ($7,359) ($145,921)
$0 ($116,433)
$6,328 $0
$138,480 ($157,641)
$14,810 $1,993 $308 ($4,540)
$68,069 ($136,866) ($293,090)
$18,656

$152,314 $27,272
$340,065 $610,351
$59,595 $104,561
$39,607 $546,100 $155,818 $259,437 $755,635 $165,611 $127,573 $382,742
$71,970 $431,308
$41,576 $939
$263,823 $7,840
$155,676 $72,101 $55,186
$107,347 $50,942
$141,270 $65,139 $46,983
$168,852 $428,870
$0 $469,056
$56,800 $0
$242,145 $445,689 $360,564
$9,771 $9,285 $422,564 $347,362 $317,716 $375,792 $128,845

Total FLPA Grant
$0 $26,750 $311,945 $195,058 $97,935 $136,819 $19,803 $640,038 $119,995 $12,064 $242,077 $63,186 $64,988 $1,116,970 $57,266 $1,891,472 $29,071
$460 $185,136
$6,559 $260,271 $106,511 $29,230 $73,809 $34,561 $105,443
$0 $36,597 $180,469 $768,380
$0 $673,781 $48,586
$0 $14,619 $737,802 $332,145 $6,097 $8,750 $430,434 $237,360 $609,105 $1,004,652 $89,679

Net Tax Shift
$152,314 $522
$28,120 $415,293 ($38,340) ($32,258)
$19,804 ($93,937) $35,823 $247,373 $513,558 $102,425 $62,586 ($734,229) $14,703 ($1,460,164) $12,505
$479 $78,687
$1,281 ($104,595)
($34,410) $25,956 $33,537 $16,381 $35,827 $65,139 $10,386 ($11,617) ($339,511)
$0 ($204,726)
$8,214 $0
$227,526 ($292,113)
$28,419 $3,674 $534 ($7,869)
$110,002 ($291,389) ($628,860)
$39,167

County
TAYLOR TELFAIR TERRELL THOMAS TIFT TOOMBS TOWNS TREUTLEN TROUP TURNER TWIGGS UNION UPSON WALKER WALTON WARE WARREN WASHINGTON WAYNE WEBSTER WHEELER WHITE WHITFIELD WILCOX WILKES WILKINSON WORTH Total

Parcel Assessed Value

Count

Eliminated

95 137 115 150
4 50
0 75 77 142 119
0 108
0 9 228 163 177 202 99 66 0 2 63 183 62 44 10,139

4,023,814 9,650,375 7,055,373 81,893,536
995,368 5,032,057
0 6,028,190 13,310,682 5,432,524 10,059,375
0 10,727,736
0 1,278,753 22,582,260 11,607,949 15,520,359 54,918,269 9,015,159 5,719,545
0 717,228 2,717,795 12,391,181 5,832,540 36,924,286 1,291,220,546

County Tax Shift

FLPA Grant County

Net County Shift

School Tax Shift

$32,714 $157,928
$95,248 $643,070
$12,127 $44,020
$0 $78,125 $144,780 $87,024 $166,986
$0 $104,810
$0 $15,070 $354,022 $150,415 $150,517 $654,791 $81,136 $96,563
$0 $6,857 $49,600 $150,692 $72,557 $463,769 $15,299,554

$88,316 $97,084 $84,526 $688,434 $7,912 $9,755
$0 $131,212 $120,652 $110,240 $19,866
$0 $119,154
$0 $19,759
$0 $170,222 $257,725 $527,280 $147,648 $102,212
$0 $5,338 $16,401 $245,518 $40,006 $78,186 $16,134,924

($55,602) $60,844 $10,722 ($45,365)
$4,214 $34,266
$0 ($53,086) $24,128 ($23,216) $147,120
$0 ($14,344)
$0 ($4,689) $354,022 ($19,807) ($107,208) $127,510 ($66,512) ($5,649)
$0 $1,519 $33,198 ($94,826) $32,551 $385,583 ($835,370)

$63,697 $149,513 $116,301 $1,183,328
$17,881 $70,110
$0 $78,366 $250,906 $86,920 $166,986
$0 $165,422
$0 $24,564 $382,227 $225,194 $265,988 $988,529 $157,468 $89,888
$0 $13,452 $41,066 $207,552 $114,563 $572,326 $21,227,675

FLPA Grant Net School Tax

School

Shift

Total Tax Shift

$172,774 $0
$103,736 $1,416,725
$11,667 $15,552
$0 $132,087 $213,789 $110,272 $19,866
$0 $193,222
$0 $26,423
$0 $228,975 $455,479 $819,167 $278,277 $86,361
$0 $10,472 $13,579 $339,310 $63,224 $96,488 $21,961,232

($109,077) $149,513
$12,565 ($233,397)
$6,214 $54,558
$0 ($53,721) $37,117 ($23,352) $147,120
$0 ($27,800)
$0 ($1,859) $382,227 ($3,781) ($189,491) $169,362 ($120,809) $3,527
$0 $2,980 $27,487 ($131,758) $51,339 $475,838 ($733,557)

$96,411 $307,441 $211,549 $1,826,398
$30,008 $114,130
$0 $156,491 $395,686 $173,944 $333,972
$0 $270,232
$0 $39,634 $736,249 $375,609 $416,505 $1,643,320 $238,604 $186,451
$0 $20,309 $90,666 $358,244 $187,120 $1,036,095 $36,527,229

Total FLPA Grant
$261,089 $97,084 $188,262 $2,105,160 $19,579 $25,306
$0 $263,298 $334,442 $220,512 $39,731
$0 $312,376
$0 $46,183
$0 $399,197 $713,204 $1,346,447 $425,925 $188,573
$0 $15,811 $29,981 $584,829 $103,230 $174,674 $38,096,156

Net Tax Shift
($164,679) $210,357
$23,286 ($278,762)
$10,428 $88,824
$0 ($106,807)
$61,245 ($46,568) $294,240
$0 ($42,144)
$0 ($6,548) $736,249 ($23,588) ($296,699) $296,873 ($187,321) ($2,122)
$0 $4,499 $60,685 ($226,585) $83,890 $861,421 ($1,568,928)

Taxation of Standing Timber
For ad valorem tax purposes standing timber is taxed only once following its harvest or sale at 100 percent of fair market value. It is subject to taxation even if the land underneath is exempt unless taxation has been prohibited by federal law or treaty.
Standing timber is defined to include softwood and hardwood pulpwood, chip and saw logs, saw timber, poles, posts, and fuel wood. Standing timber does not include orchard trees, ornamental or Christmas trees, by-products of harvesting (bark or stumps), and fuel wood harvested by the owner which is used exclusively for heating the owner's home. The taxation of standing timber is triggered at the time of the "sale" of standing timber for harvesting separate and apart from the underlying land. Timber is not taxed if it is included in a simultaneous sale of a tract of land and the timber thereon.
Figure 21: Statewide Timber Values shows the trend in value and revenue since 2010.

Millions

850.0 750.0 650.0 550.0 450.0 350.0

383.6 2010

499.6

440.6

2011

2012

503.0 2013

589.7 2014

685.2 2015

670.8 2016

Figure 22: County and School Revenue from Timber shows the trend in value and revenue since 2010.

Millions

$25.0

$20.0

$15.0 $10.0

$10.2

$13.4

$12.0

$13.9

$16.5

$19.5

$19.0

$5.0 2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

44

Table 11: 2015 Timber Revenue Reported on 2016 Tax Digests shows the timber revenue for 2015 which was reported on the 2016 tax digest.

County
Appling Atkinson Bacon Baker Baldwin Banks Barrow Bartow Ben Hill Berrien Bibb Bleckley Brantley Brooks Bryan Bulloch Burke Butts Calhoun Camden Candler Carroll Catoosa Charlton Chatham Chattahoochee Chattooga Cherokee Clarke Clay Clayton Clinch Cobb Coffee Colquitt

Acres Assessed Value

165 61,428 11,586 10,138 7,071 2,143
40 19,930 13,142 7,407
159 4,883 14,295 10,618
809 19,373 20,451 2,889 10,294 25,895 25,568 51,166
678 0
551 1,159 2,721 37,739
0 33 41 20,594 96 26,493 15,909

8,614,408 9,921,200 6,336,079 2,753,455 1,502,645
615,856 37,653 2,233,172 5,749,394 2,923,883 467,495 2,384,965 11,434,698 5,336,829 6,156,260 6,956,352 9,835,161 1,278,109 1,286,286 14,580,352 4,608,334 1,865,249 250,103 17,072,852 324,497 422,419 1,729,804 547,150
0 1,773,450
27,233 27,389,076
23,000 11,026,848 6,074,094

County Revenue
$110,015 $172,242 $86,969 $27,554 $14,802
$5,891 $353
$20,150 $87,190 $48,858 $6,850 $35,929 $169,416 $72,248 $55,937 $85,841 $59,916 $16,243 $18,075 $203,251 $55,682 $15,573 $1,825 $323,872 $3,746 $3,647 $20,394 $3,108
$0 $30,404
$452 $299,993
$153 $85,932 $87,334

School Revenue
$125,796 $146,943 $95,041 $40,845 $25,635
$9,589 $697
$42,447 $103,932 $41,221
$9,324 $34,222 $188,673 $80,426 $95,360 $68,200 $135,037 $23,088 $22,739 $233,286 $60,259 $33,576 $4,675 $297,921 $5,397 $7,190 $23,842 $10,642
$0 $23,376
$520 $503,959
$435 $177,620 $62,448

Total Revenue
$235,811 $319,185 $182,010 $68,399 $40,437 $15,480
$1,050 $62,597 $191,122 $90,079 $16,174 $70,151 $358,089 $152,674 $151,297 $154,041 $194,953 $39,331 $40,814 $436,537 $115,941 $49,149 $6,500 $621,793 $9,143 $10,837 $44,236 $13,750
$0 $53,780
$972 $803,952
$588 $263,552 $149,782

45

County
Columbia Cook Coweta Crawford Crisp Dade Dawson Decatur Dekalb Dodge Dooly Dougherty Douglas Early Echols Effingham Elbert Emanuel Evans Fannin Fayette Floyd Forsyth Franklin Fulton Gilmer Glascock Glynn Gordon Grady Greene Gwinnett Habersham Hall Hancock Haralson Harris Hart Heard

Acres Assessed Value

10,483 3,587 14,964 17,378 3,381
381 137 20,452
0 20,755 33,138
0 963 33,839 88,736
0 4,535 49,017 7,322
776 0 0 0
1,483 0 0
5,113 21,530 1,589 18,926 11,113 0
0 17,494 34,224 5,563 17,622
511 6,482

1,458,774 2,514,118 2,864,252 3,479,534 1,458,745
661,426 88,593 9,545,925
0 8,582,334 6,439,859 2,587,274
578,009 5,038,729 10,210,083 11,429,508 1,806,308 14,189,236 3,346,419
118,494 63,020 2,429,568 12,008 704,859 5,000 567,827 2,364,160 11,587,710 523,552 1,653,696 5,963,546 0 365,682 190,596 11,603,336 3,414,306 5,469,744 379,316 2,209,657

County Revenue
$9,262 $29,918 $18,218 $48,818 $17,680 $5,550
$721 $106,819
$0 $99,177 $116,272 $32,540 $6,512 $51,143 $153,151 $95,288 $20,689 $167,135 $30,335
$546 $310 $23,324 $56 $7,622 $52 $3,965 $28,937 $65,737 $5,158 $22,578 $32,362 $0 $3,886 $1,089 $194,704 $42,406 $33,584 $2,390 $15,335

School Revenue
$26,696 $40,389 $53,246 $55,673 $25,455 $10,258 $1,398 $147,542
$0 $120,153 $105,639 $47,722 $11,445 $83,139 $158,358 $182,769 $30,521 $194,875 $48,185
$1,467 $1,245 $45,141
$208 $12,771
$92 $9,437 $38,749 $187,223 $9,822 $23,482 $79,721 $0 $5,284 $3,583 $167,749 $57,087 $97,963 $5,202 $34,566

Total Revenue
$35,958 $70,307 $71,464 $104,491 $43,135 $15,808 $2,119 $254,361
$0 $219,330 $221,911 $80,262 $17,957 $134,282 $311,509 $278,057 $51,210 $362,010 $78,520
$2,013 $1,555 $68,465
$264 $20,393
$144 $13,402 $67,686 $252,960 $14,980 $46,060 $112,083 $0 $9,170 $4,672 $362,453 $99,493 $131,547 $7,592 $49,901

46

County
Henry Houston Irwin Jackson Jasper Jeff Davis Jefferson Jenkins Johnson Jones Lamar Lanier Laurens Lee Liberty Lincoln Long Lowndes Lumpkin Macon Madison Marion McDuffie McIntosh Meriwether Miller Mitchell Monroe Montgomery Morgan Murray Muscogee Newton Oconee Oglethorpe Paulding Peach Pickens Pierce

Acres Assessed Value

559 4,961 10,061 2,264 10,980 11,785 30,559 27,972 12,350 9,902 5,064 7,900 60,155 11,583 14,587 5,776 42,227 15,408 11,419 11,233
0 11,321 7,927 42,127 12,707 5,824 15,834 12,847 21,973 12,210
782 0
5,885 991
24,246 772
2,298 19,985 13,684

1,360,833 1,633,615 2,928,132
528,366 3,221,748 5,029,837 5,498,969 6,893,767 7,539,645 2,579,250 1,087,794 3,425,317 19,375,143 2,329,058 4,890,466 2,024,770 12,299,908 5,365,531
112,602 3,529,087 1,667,364 4,970,350 2,646,578 11,370,656 4,191,699 1,845,721 4,528,408 3,657,062 8,821,992 2,330,780
400,346 358,648 1,169,405 376,632 5,945,039 324,868 773,096 987,952 9,748,365

County Revenue
$15,712 $16,254 $36,239 $5,273 $52,985 $77,359 $88,544 $70,282 $115,726 $41,776 $12,610 $54,394 $139,327 $32,889 $65,777 $20,628 $193,047 $48,150 $1,371 $38,396 $17,881 $35,747 $20,643 $112,467 $57,296 $28,609 $90,070 $43,267 $120,464 $26,091 $2,880 $4,017 $15,190 $2,518 $45,266 $2,010 $11,252 $7,854 $102,943

School Revenue
$27,217 $21,792 $45,942 $7,558 $58,443 $65,388 $81,275 $106,047 $111,858 $46,427 $18,184 $58,039 $284,485 $40,514 $77,216 $34,421 $165,840 $90,736 $1,894 $65,045 $28,329 $72,388 $52,111 $178,326 $77,861 $36,224 $74,646 $57,782 $125,175 $35,577 $6,205 $8,382 $23,388 $6,403 $112,510 $6,133 $13,143 $15,787 $162,798

Total Revenue
$42,929 $38,046 $82,181 $12,831 $111,428 $142,747 $169,819 $176,329 $227,584 $88,203 $30,794 $112,433 $423,812 $73,403 $142,993 $55,049 $358,887 $138,886 $3,265 $103,441 $46,210 $108,135 $72,754 $290,793 $135,157 $64,833 $164,716 $101,049 $245,639 $61,668 $9,085 $12,399 $38,578 $8,921 $157,776 $8,143 $24,395 $23,641 $265,741

47

County
Pike Polk Pulaski Putnam Quitman Rabun Randolph Richmond Rockdale Schley Screven Seminole Spalding Stephens Stewart Sumter Talbot Taliaferro Tattnall Taylor Telfair Terrell Thomas Tift Toombs Towns Treutlen Troup Turner Twiggs Union Upson Walker Walton Ware Warren Washington Wayne Webster

Acres Assessed Value

3,593 4,554 8,734 3,749 10,176
175 13,990 1,990
0 7,406 12,225 3,430
0 689 17,224 13,500 9,948 11,799 25,196 11,687 20,448 6,825 29,837 2,894 8,060
0 41,931 10,653 6,118 16,663
241 14,057
754 2,648 64,791 17,168 57,871 28,746 8,515

2,227,243 10,911,651 1,582,242 1,690,662 4,038,966
27,701 6,346,964
995,100 0
2,534,127 11,579,338 2,043,856
924,412 359,803 6,602,560 4,252,691 3,144,371 3,843,847 8,357,002 2,584,105 11,095,324 2,209,958 4,542,654 1,313,705 6,101,822
0 5,051,251 2,758,084 2,578,368 6,752,338
86,561 3,665,422
422,554 860,351 11,757,348 5,377,282 10,080,463 21,830,753 4,094,713

County Revenue
$31,083 $120,694 $22,215 $14,011 $64,195
$253 $100,695
$9,746 $0
$31,188 $153,669 $28,089 $14,476
$4,825 $76,676 $56,242 $50,323 $79,141 $124,168 $21,009 $181,575 $29,834 $35,639 $16,005 $53,379
$0 $65,464 $29,340 $41,303 $112,089
$501 $35,811 $3,312 $10,175 $184,320 $69,679 $97,761 $260,288 $36,852

School Revenue
$35,963 $176,234 $22,102 $24,151 $56,739
$269 $114,245 $19,657
$0 $42,267 $179,144 $32,730 $17,166 $6,584 $99,269 $77,624 $44,364 $69,166 $112,937 $40,906 $171,900 $36,429 $65,959 $23,599 $84,606
$0 $65,666 $51,990 $41,254 $112,089 $1,020 $56,521 $7,027 $15,385 $199,005 $93,565 $172,759 $392,954 $69,442

Total Revenue
$67,046 $296,928 $44,317 $38,162 $120,934
$522 $214,940 $29,403
$0 $73,455 $332,813 $60,819 $31,642 $11,409 $175,945 $133,866 $94,687 $148,307 $237,105 $61,915 $353,475 $66,263 $101,598 $39,604 $137,985
$0 $131,130 $81,330 $82,557 $224,178
$1,521 $92,332 $10,339 $25,560 $383,325 $163,244 $270,520 $653,242 $106,294

48

County
Wheeler White Whitfield Wilcox Wilkes Wilkinson Worth Total

Acres Assessed Value

9,849 188 687
21,039 160,441 12,282
0 2,097,887

4,765,446 36,730 407,219
6,996,233 6,571,216 5,153,079 5,026,127 670,794,005

County Revenue
$80,617 $367
$3,893 $127,681 $79,913 $64,104 $63,128 $8,282,046

School Revenue
$74,894 $660
$7,638 $105,713 $110,068 $101,217 $77,905 $10,670,887

Total Revenue
$155,511 $1,027 $11,531
$233,394 $189,981 $165,321 $141,033 $18,952,933

49

Georgia's Unclaimed Property Program

Georgia's Unclaimed Property Program has a team of dedicated professionals who provide customer service to holders and owners of abandoned property. The program annually receives unclaimed property from corporations, banks, insurance companies, local governments and state agencies. The lost property represents un-cashed checks, money orders, stocks, bonds, accounts, or safe deposit boxes. The program has an active outreach program to locate owners of lost property.

Unclaimed Property Receipts
For Fiscal Year 2017 the program received over $180 million dollars in unclaimed funds. Along with the funds, the holders are required to furnish reports which include lost owner information such as name, last known address, account number, or social security number. Once the reports have been processed, owner information is made available on the Department of Revenue's website for an owner search.

$220

Millions

$180 $140 $100

$112 2012

$154 2013

$162 2014

$160 2015

Unclaimed Property Paid Claims

$179 2016

$180 2017

Each year Georgia's Unclaimed Property Program returns property to its rightful owners. Through the claim process, owners and abandoned property are reunited. Potential owners may request a claim form online or contact a customer service representative by telephone. Claim forms can be mailed, emailed or faxed. Each claim request is researched to determine if other property is available and to verify the rightful owner. In Fiscal Year 2017, the program returned over $21 million dollars and 315,590 shares of stock to lost owners.

The program's customer representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm at 1-855-329-9863. The web address for the online search is located at www.dor.ga.gov.

Millions

$25

$20

$18

$15

$10 2012

$16 2013

$22 $16

2014

2015

$20 2016

$21 2017

50