GA · #8 by population

Buying a home in Georgia

Costs and rules that are specific to Georgia. Main city: Atlanta.

In short

Georgia taxes property sales through its real estate transfer tax, requires an attorney to close and has no general seller disclosure form (buyer beware). It forecloses mainly out of court (trustee sale) and is not a community property state. Deadline to appeal a property tax assessment: 45 days from the date of the notice of assessment (the deadline printed on your notice controls).

Calculate for Georgia

If you buy

Georgia state transfer tax

Real estate transfer tax (O.C.G.A. 48-6-1 to 48-6-10): $1 for the first $1,000 plus $0.10 for each additional $100 (about $1 per $1,000).

Price$343,300
State transfer taxnot computed
Who paysThe seller

Default price: the Georgia median value of owner-occupied homes, $343,300 (Census ACS 2024). Not computed: Tax = $1 for the first $1,000 (or fraction) + $0.10 for each additional $100 or fraction of $100. Example: $400,000 gives $1 + $0.10 x 3,990 = $400. Who pays: The seller is liable by law, though frequently the sales contract has the buyer pay (Georgia Department of Revenue). Not included: county and city transfer taxes, the tax on the mortgage, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. Georgia transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: Georgia state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Georgia in short

Is there a real estate transfer tax in Georgia?

Georgia charges a real estate transfer tax of $1 for the first $1,000 of the sale price plus 10 cents for each additional $100, which is $400 on a $400,000 home. The seller is liable by law, though contracts often shift it to the buyer.

Full Georgia guide · Compare all 50 states

What closing costs does Georgia law set?

Georgia has no official typical closing-cost total. The transfer tax is $1 per $1,000 of price ($400 on $400,000) and the intangible recording tax is $1.50 per $500 borrowed ($960 on $320,000).

Full Georgia guide · Compare all 50 states

How is property tax calculated in Georgia?

Georgia has no state property tax levy since 2016. Counties, cities and school systems tax 40% of fair market value, and the state standard homestead exemption is $2,000 of assessed value.

Full Georgia guide · Compare all 50 states

What is the deadline to appeal a property tax assessment in Georgia?

In Georgia (Fulton County), you have 45 days from the date of the notice of assessment to appeal the value, online, in person or by mail, and you can choose a Board of Equalization hearing, non-binding arbitration or a hearing officer.

Full Georgia guide · Compare all 50 states

Do you need a real estate attorney to close in Georgia?

Yes.

Full Georgia guide · Compare all 50 states

What must a home seller disclose in Georgia?

Georgia has no mandatory state seller-disclosure form in the statutes reviewed. Caveat emptor is the general rule for used homes. A seller who knows of a serious hidden defect and stays silent can be sued for fraud.

Full Georgia guide · Compare all 50 states

How does foreclosure work in Georgia?

Georgia is a non-judicial foreclosure state: the lender must give the debtor written notice at least 30 days before the sale, and the sale is held at the county courthouse on the first Tuesday of the month.

Full Georgia guide · Compare all 50 states

What first-time home buyer programs does Georgia offer?

In Georgia, the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) runs Georgia Dream: its Standard loan gives 5% of the purchase price, up to $10,000, as a 0% second mortgage with no monthly payments. In the city of Atlanta, Invest Atlanta adds up to $20,000 through ATL HomeNOW, forgiven after 10 years.

Full Georgia guide · Compare all 50 states

How much tax when you sell a home in Georgia?

The federal rule is the same in Georgia as in every state: if you owned and lived in the home as your main home for at least 2 of the last 5 years, the first $250,000 of gain is excluded, $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly (Section 121, IRS Publication 523). Bought $400,000, sold $750,000: a single owner has $100,000 of taxable gain, $15,000 of federal tax at the 15% long-term rate; a couple filing jointly owes nothing. Georgia income tax on the gain is not computed here.

Capital gains on a home sale

Georgia guides

Atlanta

Buying a home in Atlanta, Georgia

Professionals in Georgia

All states · Federal guides