O’Connor discusses how Georgia Legislators aim to lower property taxes by ending opt-outs.
ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, January 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ —
As 2026 begins, legislators from both parties in Georgia have begun putting forward ideas to make life more affordable for residents. Taxes have become a focal point for all sides, with many representatives and senators offering proposals about how to accomplish this. The income tax is being looked at as one major point of reform, with even the governor looking to push it below 4.99%. Some even argue that it should be eliminated entirely or at least capped to protect working people.
Property taxes are the other dragon that all legislators want to slay. While there have been many attempts to fix this problem, most have either failed to pass or did little to help. This includes a law that voters approved in 2024, one that many are eyeing to repeal in an effort to make homes and daily life more affordable. O’Connor will go over what has been attempted in the past and what is currently being proposed to fix the issues at hand.
Property Tax Debate Takes Over the Nation
Across the United States, many states are looking to reform or even end property taxes. Texas made waves in the tail end of 2025 with reforms that saw increased exemptions for homeowners, replacing lost revenue with state funding, so schools could stay open. Florida has played with similar ideas. Meanwhile, states like Illinois are dealing with the worst property tax crisis in history, encouraging all states to look for a solution. Due to economic pressures, politicians who want to keep their seats must deal with issues of affordability. Property taxes seem to be one of the easier ones to regulate.
Earlier Loophole Fix Could Give the Blueprint
Georgia has been known for offering generous support when it comes to property tax appeals. The centerpiece of this is the assessment freeze. Previously, when a homeowner or business protested their taxes, the assessment would be frozen at the current value for three years, whether they won or lost. In practice, this allowed wealthy homeowners and businesses to make a high volume of appeals, locking in assessments with no reliable evidence. This was changed in 2025 as part of property reforms. While the robust freeze is still in place, it now requires a victory in the appeal to obtain the freeze. While controversial, this change seems to have evened the playing field somewhat, showing reforms can work.
The Failed 2024 Property Tax Cap
On the opposite side of the spectrum is a popular law supported by voters that seems to be an abject failure. In 2024, voters passed the “Save Our Homes Act,” which encompassed House Bills 581 and 92. The goal of this was to establish a statewide floating exemption that would address skyrocketing home values. The law caps property assessments, allowing them to grow only with inflation. While improvements to land would still garner reassessment, the act basically keeps property taxes grounded in reality, while still keeping schools and other government entities funded in the process.
Unfortunately, the act also had an opt-out clause for taxing entities. Due to the restrictive tax growth and potential growing need, the vast majority of Georgia taxing entities opted out in 2025. In some cases, this was a moot point, as Atlanta-area counties had existing exemptions which exceeded the floating one. However, other counties were not so fortunate, which means taxing entities can continue raising taxes above the cap. This makes the floating exemption largely ineffective, as it was ignored all over Georgia, including 71% of school districts. However, this may have provided a solid base to build further reforms on.
2025 Proposed Legislation Could End Opt-Out
While still in the beginning stage, a potential solution currently in the Georgia Senate would use the bones of the “Save Our Homes Act” to put things back on track. Senate Bill 382 would remove the opt-out option entirely, while still keeping the same framework. This means that all taxing entities must cap their assessment growth at inflation. While schools are the headliner, due to their size and cost, this would apply to county government and other groups as well. Any county or other jurisdiction that already has an equal or better cap would be excluded from the requirement.
SB 382 certainly has potential. The original legislation in 2024 had near-universal support from both senators and voters, passing by a vote of 42-7 in the senate and approved easily by the public. This cap would be especially potent outside of the Atlanta area, where many taxing entities have small or no homestead exemptions. Like the closing of the appeal loophole, SB 382 could bring the original vision to life, while also addressing the cold practicality of taxation. As with the original legislation, SB 382 would also help simplify the tax code, which would be very useful in rural communities with a lack of resources. There would also be more transparency in public notices when it comes to tax increases.
More Changes Could be on the Horizon
While SB 382 would be a solid step in the right direction, some have called for more changes, including the abolishment of property taxes altogether, or at least a gradual phasing out. However, due to the funding crisis that it would create, support for such draconian efforts could be limited. Still, with SB 382 as a potential bellwether, the stage could be set for even greater changes. Many reforms have already been done at the county level, including a massive exemption passed for seniors in Atlanta and Fulton County, which gave older homeowners massive cuts to their school property tax bills. Even if statewide reforms are not possible, counties and cities are sure to embrace the march to affordability.
About O’Connor:
O’Connor is one of the largest property tax consulting firms, representing 185,000 clients in 49 states and Canada, handling about 295,000 protests in 2024, with residential property tax reduction services in Georgia, Texas, Illinois, and New York. O’Connor’s possesses the resources and market expertise in the areas of property tax, cost segregation, commercial and residential real estate appraisals. The firm was founded in 1974 and employs a team of 1,000 worldwide. O’Connor’s core focus is enriching the lives of property owners through cost effective tax reduction.
Property owners interested in assistance appealing their assessment can enroll in O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program ™. There is no upfront fee, or any fee unless we reduce your property taxes, and easy online enrollment only takes 2 to 3 minutes.
Patrick O’Connor, President
O’Connor
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