Cobb County Homestead Exemption: 2026 Homeowner Guide
What Does the Georgia Homestead Exemption Save Cobb County Homeowners?
The Cobb County Basic Homestead Exemption removes $10,000 of your home's assessed value from county general and county school general taxes, and it's available to any homeowner who owns and occupies the property as a primary residence on January 1. Cobb County also runs its own floating homestead exemption, which freezes the county general fund portion of your taxable value at a base year so rising market values don't automatically raise that part of your bill. You have to file with the Cobb County Board of Assessors by April 1 to get the exemption for that tax year — miss it, and Georgia law treats it as a waiver until the following year.
TL;DR
- Cobb County's Basic Homestead Exemption removes $10,000 of assessed value from your county general and county school general taxes.
- You must own and occupy the home as your primary residence on January 1 and file by April 1 to get the exemption for that tax year.
- Cobb County has its own floating homestead exemption that freezes your county general fund taxable value at a base year — which is why Cobb opted out of Georgia's new statewide HB 581 floating exemption for 2026.
- Filing is free through the Cobb County Tax Commissioner's online e-file portal, and most homeowners finish in under 15 minutes.
- If you live inside Marietta city limits, the county exemption doesn't cover city taxes — you'll need a separate filing with the city.
If you closed on a home in Kennesaw, Marietta, or anywhere else in Cobb County this year, the homestead exemption is one of the easiest ways to lower your tax bill — and one of the easiest deadlines to miss. Here's what it actually does, how Cobb County's version compares to the new statewide option, and exactly what to file before April 1.
Cobb County Homestead Exemption: What It Actually Saves You
The Basic Homestead Exemption is a flat reduction in the assessed value the county uses to calculate your tax bill. In Cobb County, that reduction is $10,000, applied in two categories:
- County general fund: $10,000 off your taxable value
- County school general fund: $10,000 off your taxable value
It doesn't reduce the state portion of your bill, and it's separate from any city taxes you owe if you live inside Marietta or another municipality within the county. On top of the basic exemption, Cobb County offers additional exemptions for homeowners age 62 and older, disabled veterans, and a few other categories — we covered the senior version in detail in our Cobb County Senior School Tax Exemption guide, which waives school taxes entirely with no income limit. This one is different: it's the exemption every owner-occupant in Kennesaw, Marietta, or Acworth should file, regardless of age.
To qualify, you need to:
- Own the property as of January 1 of the tax year
- Occupy it as your legal primary residence — not a rental or second home
- Not claim a homestead exemption on any other property, in Georgia or elsewhere
There's no income limit on the basic exemption, and it doesn't require annual reapplication once it's on file — it stays in place as long as you own and occupy the home.
Here's what that looks like in real dollars. Cobb County's 2026 general fund millage is 8.46 mills, and the school general fund millage is 18.70 mills. A $10,000 reduction in assessed value works out to roughly $84.60 off your county general fund taxes and $187.00 off your school general fund taxes — about $271.60 a year, every year, for as long as you own and occupy the home. It's not a life-changing number on its own, but it's a permanent one, and it compounds with the floating exemption described below.
Cobb County's Floating Exemption: Why It Beats the New Statewide Option
Georgia passed House Bill 581 in 2024, creating a statewide floating homestead exemption that caps how much a home's taxable value can grow each year, tying the increase to inflation. It sounds like a win for homeowners, and in a lot of counties it is. Cobb County opted out of it for 2026.
The reason is simple: Cobb County has run its own floating homestead exemption for decades, and it's stronger than the new statewide version. Here's how it works.
When you file your homestead exemption, the county establishes a base year value for the county general fund portion of your tax bill. As your home's market value climbs in future reassessments, the county adjusts the exemption upward so the taxable value used for the county general fund doesn't rise just because your appraisal did. That base year value stays fixed until you sell, make substantial improvements, subdivide the land, or file an appeal that resets it.
What the freeze does not cover matters just as much:
- School taxes — often the single largest line on a Cobb County tax bill — are not frozen
- Bonded debt, fire district, and city millages are excluded
- If the county or school board raises its millage rate, your bill can still climb even with a frozen assessed value
So the floating exemption slows down one piece of your tax bill, not the whole thing. It's a meaningful cushion against rising Cobb County appraisals, but it's not a guarantee your total bill stays flat — something worth factoring in if you're already watching your assessment closely. If you've gotten a notice that felt out of line with reality, our guide to appealing a Cobb County tax assessment walks through that separate process.
Filing in Kennesaw or Marietta: What You Need Before April 1
Filing is free, and Cobb County's online portal is open around the clock, aside from routine overnight maintenance windows. Here's what to have ready and how the process runs.
Documents to Have Ready
- Your recorded deed or other proof of ownership
- A Georgia driver's license or state ID showing the property address
- Vehicle registration showing Cobb County taxes paid
- Social Security numbers for every owner listed on the application
Step 1: Confirm You Owned and Occupied the Home on January 1
You can only apply for the tax year in which you owned and occupied the property as of January 1. If you closed after that date, your first eligible filing window is the following year.
Step 2: Update Your Georgia ID and Vehicle Registration
The county checks your driver's license and vehicle registration address as proof you actually live at the property, not just own it. If you moved from out of state or another Georgia county, update these before you file.
Step 3: File Through the Cobb County E-File Portal
Submit your application through the Cobb County Board of Assessors' online system. Most homeowners complete it in under 15 minutes once they have their documents ready.
Step 4: Confirm Your Exemption Posted Before April 1
Applications must be received, or postmarked if mailed, by April 1 of the tax year. Missing the deadline waives the exemption for that entire year — there's no late exception, so it's worth confirming your filing went through rather than assuming it did.
Marietta and Kennesaw: City-Level Exemptions to Know
Cobb County's homestead exemption only applies to county taxes. If your home sits inside city limits, your city taxes are billed separately, and most cities — including Marietta — run their own homestead exemption with a separate application. Most Kennesaw-address homeowners sit in unincorporated Cobb County for tax purposes and file only with the county, but it's worth confirming your specific address against city boundary maps, since some Kennesaw and Acworth neighborhoods do sit inside municipal limits.
If you're not sure which taxing authorities apply to your address, your closing attorney's settlement statement or your county tax bill will list every line item — county, school, city, and any special districts. That's the fastest way to see exactly which exemptions you should be filing for.
Your specific savings depend on your home's assessed value, whether you qualify for any additional exemptions, and which taxing districts apply to your address — that's where running the numbers with someone who knows this market helps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies for the Georgia homestead exemption in Cobb County?
Any homeowner who owns and occupies a property as their primary residence in Kennesaw, Marietta, or elsewhere in Cobb County as of January 1 qualifies for the Basic Homestead Exemption, as long as they aren't claiming a homestead exemption on another property.
What's the difference between the basic homestead exemption and the senior exemption?
The basic exemption removes $10,000 of assessed value from county general and school general taxes for any owner-occupant, regardless of age. The senior exemption, covered in our Cobb County Senior School Tax Exemption guide, waives school taxes entirely for homeowners 62 and older with no income limit — the two aren't mutually exclusive, and eligible seniors should file for both.
What happens if I miss the April 1 deadline?
Georgia law treats a missed deadline as a waiver of the exemption for that tax year. You'd need to refile the following year, with January 1 of that year as your new ownership and occupancy date.
Does the homestead exemption affect my property tax appeal?
Filing a formal appeal can reset your floating exemption's base year value once the appeal is resolved, so it's worth understanding both processes together rather than assuming they're unrelated.
Do I need to reapply every year?
No. Once your homestead exemption is approved, it stays in place automatically as long as you continue to own and occupy the home as your primary residence. You'd only need to refile if you move, sell, or change ownership structure. You can review all of Robert's local guides at masoudpour.com.
The Bottom Line
The Cobb County homestead exemption is one of the few tax breaks that requires almost no effort to claim — a free online filing that permanently lowers your assessed value and, through the county's floating exemption, helps slow future increases. The catch is the April 1 deadline, and it doesn't bend.
If you bought a home in Kennesaw this year, or you're not sure whether your exemption is actually on file, it's worth checking before the deadline creeps up on you. Schedule 15 minutes with Robert and we'll walk through your specific tax situation together.
