Chatham County Property Taxes: What’s Different on Your 2026 Bill

CHATHAM COUNTY PROPERTY TAX BILLS ARE HERE! If you own property in Chatham County, your second property tax bill for 2026 should be arriving in the mail. The deadline to pay is November 16th.

But before you look at the amount due and immediately pay it, TAKE A MINUTE and actually look over your bill because there are some important things homeowners need to know this year.

First, some homeowners are getting additional property tax relief.

Georgia’s Homeowner Tax Relief Grant, or HTRG, gives eligible homesteaded properties up to an $18,000 reduction in assessed value.

Now let’s clear this up because $18,000 sounds like a whole lot more than it actually is!

You are NOT getting an $18,000 check, and they are NOT taking $18,000 off your property tax bill.

The $18,000 comes off the assessed value used to calculate your taxes. Basically, if you qualify, your property taxes are calculated using a lower assessed value, which can lower the amount you actually owe.

And this is important: HTRG only applies to eligible homesteaded properties. It does not apply to non-homesteaded properties.

There are also changes involving Chatham County’s homestead exemptions reflected on the 2026 bills.

So my advice is simple: DON’T just look at the total due!

Look at your exemptions. Look at your credits. Make sure the tax relief you qualify for is actually showing up on your bill.

Another BIG thing homeowners need to know is that receiving a tax bill in the mail does not necessarily mean you need to pay it yourself.

If you have a mortgage and your property taxes are paid through escrow, your mortgage company may be making this payment for you.

Chatham County will still mail you a copy of the bill for your records. In fact, about one-third of Chatham County property tax payments are made through mortgage companies.

So please don’t see a bill in your mailbox, panic, and immediately make a payment without checking first!

If you have an escrow account and aren’t sure who is paying, call your mortgage company or look at your mortgage statement. The last thing you want to do is accidentally make a duplicate payment.

If you ARE responsible for paying your own property taxes, Chatham County gives you several options.

You can pay online, by mail, or in person at a Chatham County Tax Commissioner’s Office.

You can also go to tax.chathamcountyga.gov to view your bill, make a payment, schedule an appointment, find office locations, and check current office wait times.

Here is something else that causes confusion every year.

The Chatham County Tax Commissioner’s Office does NOT determine what your property is worth and does NOT set the millage rate.

They handle the tax bills, collect the payments, and distribute the money.

So if you are looking at your bill thinking, “WHY is my house valued at this amount?” that is a different issue from simply having a question about your tax bill or payment.

Here’s my takeaway for Chatham County property owners:

Actually read your bill this year.

Make sure your homestead exemptions are there. Check for the state tax relief if you qualify. Understand what credits you received and what you are actually responsible for paying.

And if you have a mortgage, CONFIRM whether your mortgage company is paying the bill before you send Chatham County another payment.

The deadline for the second installment is November 16, 2026.

You can view or pay your property tax bill at tax.chathamcountyga.gov.

If you have questions about your bill or payment, you can contact the Chatham County Tax Commissioner’s Office at 912-652-7100 or tax@chathamcounty.org.

Property taxes are confusing enough already, and with changes showing up on this year’s bills, homeowners need to understand what they are looking at instead of simply paying whatever number appears at the bottom.

Check your bill, check your exemptions, and know who is responsible for paying it BEFORE November 16th!