Tax & License Office

For more information regarding Taxes & Licenses, please contact us at 912-764-0625 or by email: tax.dept@statesboroga.gov

Your Occupational Tax Certificate expires on December 31st. Please fill out the renewal form, have the affidavits notarized, and return to the Tax & License department with payment in order for it to be processed.

Please reference the guide below to see the process for opening a business in the City.

[pdf-embedder url=”https://www.statesboroga.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Guiding-to-Opening-a-Business-Flow-Chart.pdf” title=”Guiding to Opening a Business Flow Chart”]

Your Alcohol License expires on December 31st. Please fill out the renewal form and return to the Tax & License department BEFORE November 1st of the current year to avoid penalty fees.

Frequently Asked Property Tax Questions

When are property taxes billed and due?

Property taxes are billed in the fall of the year, usually in the first week of October, for City Taxes that cover January 1- December 31 of that same year. The due date is December 20. You should receive a separate statement from Bulloch County for your County/State/School Taxes.

Interest accrues on the outstanding balance every month until paid in full on the 21st of each month. A 5% penalty will be charged 120 days after the due date and every 120 days thereafter, not to exceed 20% of the taxes due.

 

How can I pay my city taxes or find out if they have been paid? 

  •  Taxes for the current year can be paid by mailing a check to the City of Statesboro, P.O. Box 348, Statesboro, GA 30459. Please make your check payable to the City of Statesboro and include your parcel or bill number in the memo field. Paying by mail will cut down on your time standing in line. If you would like a receipt mailed back to you, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope.
  • Payments may also be made in person at City Hall (50 East Main St) during normal business hours of 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday excluding holidays. We accept cash, check, money order and credit card payments (Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express). There will be a 2% convenience fee if using a credit card.  You may also pay online with a credit card at the “Online Bill Pay” link on the left side of the page.
  • If your taxes are paid in escrow, please allow your mortgage company to pay us. We mail statements to taxpayers and will be glad to send statements to mortgage companies at the mortgage company’s request.

 

I paid these taxes at closing – why am I getting a tax bill? 

Taxes are billed at the end of each year for the period of January 1 – December 31. These bills are generated as of January 1. What generally happens at a closing is a transaction between the buyer and seller for the seller’s portion of estimated taxes that will become due at the end of the year. In this instance, taxes are collected from the seller and paid to the buyer by reducing the proceeds paid to the seller at closing. Taxes are not paid to the City of Statesboro after closing. If taxes are to be “collected” at a closing, it is stated in the sales contract and the lawyer’s office will forward taxes collected to the City of Statesboro. The State of Georgia requires that tax bills are generated and mailed to the owner of record on January 1st so the seller will receive a bill on property that they have sold (O.C.G.A. 48-5-18). Both buyer and seller are made aware of this at closing and the property tax bill also states that this bill should be forwarded to the new owner. This can be very confusing and often results in taxes becoming past due. Failure to receive a tax bill does not relieve this liability. Please contact your closing attorney if you have questions about who is responsible for paying the taxes according to the closing agreement.

 

My taxes are paid in escrow. Why am I getting a tax bill? 

Tax bills are mailed to the taxpayer because property taxes are the tax payers responsibility. We do send statements to mortgage companies if the mortgage company sends us a request. We ask that you forward your tax statement to your mortgage company for payment.

 

 I sold this property. Why am I getting the tax bill? 
Taxes are generated and mailed to the owner of record on January 1st of the tax year according to Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 48-5-18). If you get a tax bill for property that you sold, please forward it to the new owner as quickly as possible.

 

Can the interest and penalty be waived since I did not receive a bill? 
No, Failure to receive a tax bill does not relieve you of the responsibility to make payment by the due date. Interest automatically accrues on the 21st of each month as soon as a bill is delinquent, until the bill is paid in full.

 

Discounts or Exemptions

All discount or exemption questions can be answered by the Bulloch County Tax Assessor’s office. They can be reached at 912-764-2181.