A doubled exemption for owners 65 and up

A doubled exemption for owners 65 and up

The Clayton County senior homestead exemption doubles your standard $10,000 break to $14,000 of assessed value once you turn 65 and qualify. It is the most overlooked way for retirees here to cut a tax bill.

The catch is the income test. Total annual taxable income outside Social Security and certain retirement income has to be under $10,000. That is strict.

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How it works and who qualifies

• Age 65 or older by January 1
• Primary residence in Clayton County
• Taxable income test under $10,000
• Social Security excluded from the test
• File with the Tax Commissioner by April 1
• Bring proof of age, income, deed, residency
• Renews automatically once approved

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The honest caveat

The $10,000 income test is strict and has not kept pace with inflation. Many retirees with a pension or IRA distributions exceed it. If you do, you still get the regular $10,000 homestead.

If you are a veteran rated 100 percent, file the disabled veteran exemption. It removes far more, up to $121,812, and the county applies whichever helps most.

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A few hundred dollars saved each year, compounding into real money over a decade or two.