A Milton homeowner's 2026 Fulton County property tax bill arrived after the Aug. 15 mailing at $31,839.60, roughly three and a half times his usual annual bill of about $9,000. The county had already corrected it to $9,934.38 before he called to dispute it. Nobody told him.

No letter, no email, no text, The Roundabout reported Sunday, Aug. 30. The homeowner learned of the fix only after calling the Fulton County tax office on Wednesday, Aug. 26, and being transferred between departments.

The gap between the two amounts: $21,905.22.

The inflated bill traced to a known problem in Fulton County's system. The homeowner won a property assessment appeal, but the county dropped his homestead exemption from the roll when it processed the win. That exemption accounted for most of his bill. The Roundabout reported that county phone staff recognize the error on sight because it happens so often.

What makes the case unusual is what happened next. When The Roundabout checked the county's public billing portal at fultoncountytaxes.org, the corrected $9,934.38 bill appeared with the homestead exemption restored. The original $31,839.60 bill was gone. Not marked corrected, not flagged as amended. Erased. The homeowner's paper copy and a county text alert showing the original amount are the only evidence the higher bill existed, according to The Roundabout, which reported examining both documents.

"This is great, but I wish I had been informed!" the homeowner told the county staffer on the phone. "I don't have anything in writing other than a $31.9k bill!"

The Roundabout reported it began asking Fulton County about the practice on Aug. 13. On Aug. 18, the county's Department of External Affairs took the homeowner's details and said it would follow up. The Roundabout set a noon deadline of Saturday, Aug. 29, for answers to three questions: how many 2026 bills have been corrected since they were mailed, whether the county notifies homeowners when a bill changes, and what a homeowner who already paid an incorrect bill should do. The county did not respond, The Roundabout reported.

Why the bills are temporary

All 2026 Fulton County property tax bills were mailed Aug. 15 as temporary bills, according to a county press release. The bills use valuations from the preliminary 2026 Tax Digest and each taxing jurisdiction's 2025 millage rates. Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram authorized the temporary billing on Aug. 4 after the Fulton County Board of Assessors fell behind processing an unprecedented number of land packages, delaying the tax digest.

The county's press release states that once final millage rates are set, "a refund or revised tax bill will be issued only as needed." The release does not describe any process for notifying homeowners whose bills are corrected before that final reconciliation.

Alpharetta, Milton and Roswell collect their own city taxes separately from the Fulton County Tax Commissioner, and the temporary collection order did not apply to those cities' portions, 11Alive reported. But Milton and Alpharetta homeowners still receive Fulton County tax bills for county and school taxes.

What residents can do

Homeowners can check their 2026 Fulton County bill at fultoncountytaxes.org by searching their address under Property Taxes. Look for whether the amount is consistent with last year's bill, whether the homestead exemption is listed, and whether the due date is on the calendar. Homeowners who appealed their assessment and won should pay particular attention to the exemption line.

The Fulton County Tax Commissioner's phone number is 404-613-6100. All Fulton County tax bills are due Thursday, Oct. 15.