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North Fulton Property Tax Appeals: Alpharetta, Johns Creek & Roswell
North Fulton home values have climbed hard — and assessments have followed. If your number jumped this year in Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Roswell, Milton, or Sandy Springs, you have a legal right to challenge it. Here's how, plainly.
The short version
- North Fulton — Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Roswell, Milton, and Sandy Springs — is part of Fulton County, so the same county process and deadlines apply.
- Fulton mails Notices of Assessment around mid-June. You have 45 days from your notice date to appeal — usually late July.
- In Georgia your assessed value is 40% of fair market value (FMV); you appeal the FMV.
- The strongest evidence is recent comparable sales below your assessment or a recent purchase price under the county's value.
Few parts of metro Atlanta have seen home values move like North Fulton. Across Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Roswell, Milton, and Sandy Springs, prices have surged for years — and the county's assessments have chased them upward. When that climb outruns what your specific home is actually worth, you can end up overpaying. The fix is the same accessible, legal process every Fulton homeowner has: a property tax appeal.
Because all of these cities sit inside Fulton County, your appeal runs through the Fulton County Board of Assessors on the county's calendar — not a separate city process. This guide covers what that means for North Fulton homeowners specifically, then walks the whole path from notice to hearing.
North Fulton is Fulton County — one process
It's worth saying clearly, because the city names cause confusion: Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Roswell, Milton, and Sandy Springs are municipalities within Fulton County. Your annual property assessment comes from the Fulton County Board of Assessors, and your appeal is filed with the county. So the deadlines, the evidence rules, and the hearing path are identical to the rest of Fulton.
If you want the full county walkthrough alongside this local view, our step-by-step Fulton County appeal guide is the complete playbook, and our Milton, GA appeal guide covers that city in depth.
Why North Fulton assessments are worth a close look
A few local realities make a careful read of your notice especially worthwhile here:
- Fast-moving prices. Rapid appreciation means the county is often estimating values in a market that's changing quickly — and estimates on individual homes can overshoot.
- Diverse housing stock. From newer Johns Creek and Alpharetta subdivisions to Roswell's older established neighborhoods to Milton's larger lots and estates, "comparable" is nuanced — and a sloppy comp set by anyone can misvalue a home in either direction.
- Wide value range. High-value homes have more dollars riding on each percentage point of over-assessment, so getting the FMV right matters more.
None of this means your assessment is wrong — only that it's worth checking, because when it's off in North Fulton, the dollars at stake are real.
On your notice, focus on the fair market value — the county's estimate of what your home would sell for. Your assessed value is 40% of that, and your taxes build on it. When you appeal, you're arguing the FMV is too high. Also check the property-record details (square footage, baths, basement, condition) — errors there are common and easy to fix.
The deadline: 45 days from your notice date
This is the single most important fact for any Fulton homeowner, North Fulton included. Fulton County mails Annual Notices of Assessment around mid-June, and you have 45 days from the date printed on your notice to file — typically late July. Miss it, and you generally lose the right to appeal that year's value, however strong your case.
Go by the actual date on your own notice, not a rule of thumb — that printed date is the only one that counts. We break the window down in our guide to the Fulton County 45-day appeal deadline.
The 45-day clock starts on the notice date, not the day you open the envelope. If your Alpharetta or Roswell notice has been on the counter for two weeks, you've already burned two weeks of the window. File first; you can keep building evidence after it's in.
Do you actually have a case?
Here's where we differ from much of the industry: not every assessment is worth appealing. In a market like North Fulton's, sometimes the county's number is genuinely close to what your home would sell for — and an appeal won't move it. You probably do have a case if:
- Your FMV jumped sharply while comparable homes near you sold for less than your new value.
- You recently bought the home for less than the county's FMV in an ordinary, arm's-length sale.
- There's an error in your property record — wrong square footage, a finished basement you don't have, a phantom bathroom.
- Your assessment is noticeably higher than near-identical neighbors' for no clear reason.
If your FMV is roughly what your home would honestly sell for today, that's not a failure — it means the county got it about right, and we'd rather tell you that than file a long shot.
The evidence that wins in North Fulton
Recent comparable sales
The backbone of most appeals — recent, nearby, genuinely similar homes that closed for less than your FMV. In varied North Fulton neighborhoods, picking truly comparable sales matters: a newer build isn't a clean comp for a 1990s home, and a renovated house isn't one for a dated one. Our guide on finding comps that prove an over-assessment goes deep.
A recent purchase price
If you bought recently in a normal sale, the price you paid is some of the strongest possible evidence of market value. If the county's FMV sits well above it, that gap is your case. Just closed? See our new-homeowner guide — the timing helps.
Property-record errors
Pull your record card and check every detail. A factual error — overstated square footage, a basement that isn't finished — is often the cleanest win of all.
See your North Fulton number in plain English
Enter your address — Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Roswell, Milton, or Sandy Springs — and we'll pull your real Fulton County assessment, show the year-over-year jump, and give you an honest read: strong case, weak case, or no case.
Check my assessment — freeWe'll tell you if you even have a case.
How the appeal works, start to finish
The path is set by Georgia law (OCGA § 48-5-311) and is the same across North Fulton:
- File with the Fulton County Board of Assessors before your 45-day deadline. Filing online is fast and gives you a timestamp.
- Choose your hearing route. Most homeowners pick the Board of Equalization (BOE) — a panel of trained citizens, no filing fee. Alternatives are a hearing officer or binding arbitration.
- The assessors review. They may agree and lower your value (you can accept it and you're done) or hold firm.
- The BOE hearing. If it's unresolved, you present your evidence and the county presents theirs; the board sets a value. Here's what to expect at a BOE hearing.
- Further appeal. If you disagree with the BOE, you can go to Superior Court within 30 days (which requires a licensed attorney).
One useful detail: under OCGA § 48-5-311(e)(6)(A), a non-attorney may represent you before the BOE — including for a fee — and a Georgia Court of Appeals decision, Dickey v. Fulton County Board of Tax Assessors (2015), confirmed that's not the unauthorized practice of law. That's exactly the role we fill for North Fulton homeowners.
The payoff: a win can last three years
A successful North Fulton appeal usually isn't a one-year discount. Under Georgia's 299(c) value freeze (OCGA § 48-5-299(c)), after a winning appeal the county generally cannot raise your assessed value for the appeal year plus the next two — a three-year freeze, barring substantial improvements. One fight, three years of a lower bill. See our guide to the Georgia 3-year property tax freeze.
If the home is your primary residence, make sure you've claimed your homestead exemption — it's separate from an appeal but directly affects your bill. Georgia's HB 581 created a statewide floating homestead exemption that caps a homestead's taxable-value growth at inflation (CPI); without homestead, you don't get that cap. Some jurisdictions could opt out, so check your county and city for how it applies to you.
Appealing is your right across North Fulton, it's free or low-cost to file, and a real over-assessment is worth challenging — especially with the dollars at stake on higher-value homes. But the work is in the evidence and the deadline is unforgiving. If you'd rather not navigate it alone, or just want to know whether you have a case first, that's exactly what we do. No win, no fee.
North Fulton appeal FAQ
Are Alpharetta, Johns Creek, and Roswell part of Fulton County for property taxes?
Yes. Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Roswell, Milton, and Sandy Springs are all municipalities within Fulton County. Your annual assessment comes from the Fulton County Board of Assessors and your appeal is filed with the county, so the same deadlines, evidence rules, and hearing process apply countywide.
When is the North Fulton property tax appeal deadline?
You have 45 days from the date printed on your Fulton County Annual Notice of Assessment. Notices typically mail in mid-June, so the deadline usually falls in late July. Always go by the actual date on your own notice — whether you're in Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Roswell, Milton, or Sandy Springs — because that printed date is the only one that counts.
What's the best evidence for a North Fulton appeal?
Recent comparable sales — similar nearby homes that closed for less than your fair market value — and a recent arm's-length purchase price below the county's value are the strongest. Because North Fulton has varied housing, choosing genuinely comparable sales matters. Property-record errors such as wrong square footage are also strong because they're factual.
Do I need a lawyer to appeal in North Fulton?
No. You can represent yourself, or a non-attorney can represent you — including for a fee — before the Board of Equalization under OCGA § 48-5-311(e)(6)(A), which a 2015 Georgia Court of Appeals decision confirmed is not the unauthorized practice of law. A licensed attorney is only required if you later appeal to Superior Court.