Gwinnett Tax Assessments Mailed Out Friday

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA -- About 60% of Gwinnett County property owners will see changes to their tax assessments this year, the county announced Friday.

Gwinnett County's Board of Assessors mailed out about 275,000 property-tax assessment notices on Friday.

The notices, to residential and commercial property owners, are meant to let property owners know how much their property is valued at for the purpose of ad valorem taxes, compared to last year.

Actual tax bills will be based on the 2016 tax rates set by the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners and the Board of Education later this year.

In a news release, the board said that rising property sales have generally led to an increase in Gwinnett property values this year.

"The general rise in values is a direct result of an improving economy as sale prices are continuing to move toward pre-recession levels," the county said in the release.

Chief Appraiser Steve Pruitt says in the release that the state of Georgia's methodology for testing the accuracy of tax values also has contributed to a large number of value changes this year.

He estimates the county's tax digest will grow between 5-6% in 2016, once the impact of appeals and changes in certain exemptions are finalized.

Property owners have 45 days from the date of the notice to file an appeal of their assessments.

Those who choose to appeal may do so online at www.gwinnett-assessor.com.

Assessment notices, forms and appeal information, including frequently-asked questions, also can be found on the webpage.

Property owners also may contact the Tax Assessors' office by email at assessor@gwinnettcounty.com or by telephone at (770) 822-7200.