Local property owners will be able to apply for homestead exemptions and file appeals online beginning in 2021, the county’s chief appraiser told Gilmer Board of Assessors members during their last meeting of the year Thursday, Dec. 17.
A new qPublic website design for the Gilmer County Tax Assessor’s Office is expected to go live around Jan. 1, said Chief Appraiser Theresa Gooch.
“Once you enter into the site, everything else will look the same. The big change is on the front page,” she added.
On that revamped front page of GilmerAssessors.com, property owners will be able to file for standard and age-specific homestead exemptions. Property owners will also be able to submit appeal forms there, but only during a limited timeframe each year, Gooch noted.
The documents for filing an appeal will only be available online during the 45-day appeal period that follows the mailing of each year’s assessment notices.
“It will be just like we’re taking it at the window, There is an affidavit they’ll attest to. They’ll sign in the box, agree to it and submit the application. If there’s a red asterisk, they’ll have to put in that required information. When it gets down to your age requirement, each category will require different information. If they are age 62-64 they’ll have to supply their income. (If you’re) age 65 or older, you’re not required to,” Gooch explained.
“There are a couple of us in the office who will receive emails to let us know the applicant has filed. We will go to a platform supported by qPublic and print their application and any supporting documentation. If we need anything further, we will reach out to the owner,” she added.
The office has previously only accepted homestead exemption applications in person, and they are not accepted by fax or email, Gooch noted.
“A lot of counties are switching over to (a) new format that’s a little bit more user friendly. In order for us to be able to do the homestead applications and online appeals, you have to upgrade to the new platform. We were fortunate to get that paid for under the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act,” she said.
In other news ...
﹣ Board members approved a preliminary draft of this year’s prebilled mobile home digest. The overall digest is up approximately 5 percent based on fair market value, noted Gooch.
The total figure for the preliminary mobile home digest is $27.8 million.