What Happens To Your Homestead Exemption When You Sell And Buy In Cobb County?
It doesn't come with you. Your homestead exemption is tied to you owning and living in a specific home on January 1, so when you sell, the exemption stays on the old home's bill through the end of that tax year, and you have to file again on the new one. In Cobb County, you'll only qualify on the new home for a tax year in which you owned it and lived there on January 1.
That timing catches a lot of people who are selling in Marietta or Smyrna and buying again in Kennesaw, Acworth, or Powder Springs. It shows up every spring in Cobb tax-office FAQs and local homeowner guides, and it usually shows up again when the first tax bill on the new house arrives.
This is general information from public sources, not tax or legal advice. The Cobb County Tax Commissioner's Office has the final word on your exemptions.
Why Does January 1 Decide Your Homestead Exemption?
Georgia runs property taxes off a single date. The Georgia Department of Revenue says "property taxes are charged against the owner of the property on January 1." To get the homestead exemption for a tax year, the Department of Revenue's homestead rules say you must have owned the home on January 1 and actually live in it as your legal residence.
So the calendar does most of the work:
- You close on your new home in 2026 and live there on January 1, 2027. You can file for the 2027 tax year.
- You close on your new home in February 2027. You didn't own it on January 1, 2027, so your first exemption year on that home is 2028.
- You sell your old home in 2026. The 2026 bill on the old home still reflects the exemption you had on January 1, 2026.
A closing date a few weeks before or after New Year's Day can be the difference between getting the exemption next year and waiting another full year. If you have any say in when you close on the new place, look at that date with the calendar in mind. If you're buying and selling at the same time, a home sale contingency is one of the tools that can help line up the two closings.
Here's what the basic exemption is worth. In Cobb, it takes $10,000 off your assessed value for county general and school general taxes. At the county's 2026 general fund rate of 8.46 mills and the school district's 18.70 mills, that's roughly $270 a year. Not huge on its own. For homeowners 62 and older, though, there's a much bigger number in play (more on that below).
Your closing dates matter more than the price of the exemption itself. Close on the new home and be living there before January 1, and you can file for the next tax year. Close after it, and you wait a full extra year.
How Does The Homestead Exemption Affect Taxes At Closing?
At closing, your attorney splits the year's property taxes between you and your buyer based on the closing date. Georgia Title & Escrow explains that if the bill hasn't been issued yet, the seller credits the buyer for the seller's share from January 1 through closing, using the most recent prior-year bill as the estimate. If the bill has already been issued and paid, the buyer credits the seller for the rest of the year.
Cobb bills go out in August and are due October 15. If you're closing this fall, here's what to know about 2026 Cobb County property tax bills.
Two things matter for you as a seller:
- Your exemption is already built into this year's bill. The bill is based on January 1 ownership, so the proration uses a bill that reflects your exemption. You pay your share of that bill, and your buyer pays theirs.
- Your buyer's second year can look very different. Your exemption doesn't transfer to the buyer. Unless they file their own, next year's bill comes without it. That isn't your cost, but it's worth knowing if a buyer asks about the tax figure on your listing.
The same thing happens in reverse on the home you're buying. Your first-year bill there reflects the previous owner's exemptions, not yours.
How Do You File For The Exemption On Your New Home?
In Cobb, homestead applications go through the Cobb County Tax Commissioner's Office, and you can file online. Here's the order I walk clients through:
- Take your exemption off the old home. Georgia law requires you to notify the Tax Commissioner's Office if you no longer qualify, including when you've moved or sold, and Cobb warns that "failure to do so may result in penalties." Cobb has an online removal request for this.
- Have your proof of residency ready. Cobb asks you to upload proof of residency, such as a Georgia driver's license or vehicle registration.
- Make sure every owner is on the application. Cobb requires all applicants' names to appear on the deed.
- File on time. April 1 is the traditional deadline. Georgia now also lets you apply up to the end of your 45-day window to appeal your Notice of Assessment, and Cobb says applications must be submitted before the appeal deadline on your notice. Late applications roll to the following year. I'd still aim for April 1 rather than count on the later window.
Coming from another county? If you're moving into Cobb from Cherokee, Fulton, or anywhere else, the Cobb Tax Commissioner's new resident page asks for a letter showing your exemptions there were removed before you apply in Cobb. You also can't claim a homestead exemption in Cobb if you or your spouse already claim one in another county or state.
Heading the other way? If your next home is in Cherokee County (Woodstock, Canton, or Holly Springs, for example), you file with the Cherokee County Tax Assessors' Office instead, and its exemptions aren't the same as Cobb's.
What If You're 62 Or Older And Moving Within Cobb?
This is where timing really matters. Cobb offers a school tax exemption for homeowners 62 and older that covers "all taxes in the school general and school bond tax categories." You must be 62 on or before January 1 of the tax year, and you apply with proof of age.
Georgia assesses homes at 40% of fair market value, so a $450,000 home has an assessed value of $180,000. At the school district's 18.70 mills, that exemption is worth about $3,366 a year in school general taxes on a $450,000 home.
a year in school general taxes saved by the age-62 exemption on a $450,000 Cobb County Schools home
If you're downsizing from a larger home in Smyrna to something smaller in Kennesaw or Acworth, that exemption doesn't follow you. You file again on the new home, and the January 1 rule still applies. Close on the new home in early January instead of late December, and you won't qualify on it until the following tax year.
If downsizing is on your mind, here's when downsizing actually makes sense in Cobb County. Build this exemption into your timeline from the start, not after you've picked a closing date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my homestead exemption transfer to my new house in Cobb County?
No. The exemption stays with the home you owned and lived in on January 1. You file again on your new home, and you qualify for a tax year only if you owned it and lived there on January 1 of that year.
If I sell my house in the middle of the year, do I lose the exemption for that year?
No. That year's bill is based on January 1 ownership, so it still reflects your exemption. Your closing attorney splits that bill between you and your buyer based on the closing date.
What is the deadline to file for a homestead exemption in Cobb County?
April 1 is the traditional deadline. Georgia now also allows applications up to the end of the 45-day appeal window on your Notice of Assessment, and Cobb says to submit before the appeal deadline on your notice. Applications that miss it are processed for the following year.
Does Cobb County have a floating homestead exemption?
Not the statewide one. In 2025, Cobb County government and the Cobb County School District both opted out of the HB 581 floating homestead exemption, so its cap doesn't apply to those taxes. Cobb still offers senior exemptions, including the school tax exemption for homeowners 62 and older.
Do I have to tell Cobb County when I sell?
Yes. Georgia law requires you to notify the Cobb County Tax Commissioner's Office when you no longer qualify, including after you move or sell, and Cobb says failing to do so may result in penalties. You can request removal online.
What Should You Do Next?
When you sell and buy in Cobb, your homestead exemption comes down to three dates: your two closing dates and January 1. Get those lined up and you keep the savings. Miss them and you can wait a full year on the new home, which adds up fast if you're 62 or older.
The best time to sort this out is before you pick a list date, with real numbers on what your home is worth and when it makes sense to sell.
Own A Home In Cobb Or Cherokee County?
Get a free home value report (also called a CMA, or comparative market analysis) on a 30-minute Zoom call with Ken, and plan your sale, your next purchase, and your timing with real numbers.
Ken Mandich is a Realtor® and team lead at Complete Realty Team, serving Metro Atlanta with a focus on Cobb and Cherokee County. As an active real estate investor, Ken brings a rare combination of hands-on investing experience and full-service agent expertise to every seller and buyer he works with. He's built his business around clear communication and walking clients through every step of the process, from pricing a home right to closing with confidence. You can reach him at 404-410-6465 or [email protected].
