Woman working on a laptop at a desk in a bright home office. — A homeowner reviews tax paperwork at a desk. Property-tax deadlines vary across North Atlanta counties.

Property-tax season has arrived in North Atlanta, but homeowners are not all working toward the same deadline.

North Fulton taxes are due Oct. 15. Forsyth County uses a Nov. 15 deadline. Gwinnett homeowners are still waiting for their 2026 bills and the date that will appear on them.

The differences matter even for homeowners whose mortgage companies collect taxes through escrow. The legal responsibility for making sure the bill is paid ultimately remains with the property owner.

The deadlines to know

County	2026 deadline
Fulton	Oct. 15
Forsyth	Nov. 15
Gwinnett	To be announced with 2026 bills

Fulton mailed its bills Aug. 15. The Oct. 15 deadline covers Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Roswell and the rest of Fulton County outside Atlanta. A separate Sept. 30 deadline applies only inside the City of Atlanta.

Forsyth County taxes are due Nov. 15. Bills generally arrive near the end of summer and can also be found through the county’s online property-tax services.

Gwinnett normally mails bills in August or September, followed by an October or November deadline. The county has not yet announced the exact 2026 date. Homeowners in Duluth, Peachtree Corners, Sugar Hill and Suwanee should use the deadline printed on the new bill rather than rely on the date from a previous year. Bills will be available through Gwinnett’s property-tax payment system.

Fulton’s bill is real, but it may not be final

North Fulton homeowners may notice that this year’s statement is described as a temporary tax bill.

That does not mean payment can wait.

Fulton issued the bills before completing the final countywide tax digest. A Superior Court order allowed the Tax Commissioner to calculate them using preliminary 2026 property values and the millage rates used in 2025.

The county took that route to avoid delaying the revenue needed by local governments and school systems. The full explanation is included in Fulton’s 2026 property-tax announcement.

Once the digest is completed and the final millage rates are set, the calculation will be checked again. A homeowner could receive a refund or a revised bill if the final amount differs.

For now, the amount on the temporary bill is due Oct. 15.

What if no bill arrives?

A missing envelope does not erase the tax.

Fulton property owners who have not received a statement by Sept. 15 should contact the Tax Commissioner’s Office at 404-613-6100. Bills can also be searched by address, parcel number or account number through the Fulton tax portal.

Forsyth homeowners can contact the Tax Commissioner’s Office at 770-781-2110. Gwinnett homeowners can call 770-822-8800 or email tax@gwinnettcounty.com.

Looking up the account online is especially worthwhile after moving, refinancing or changing mortgage companies. Those are the situations in which a bill or payment instruction is most likely to be sent to the wrong place.

Will the mortgage company take care of it?

Homeowners with escrow accounts normally pay property taxes as part of their monthly mortgage payment. The mortgage servicer then sends the tax payment to the county.

Homeowners should still confirm that the payment was made.

Counties make tax information available to mortgage companies, but they do not guarantee that a lender will retrieve the bill and pay it correctly. A servicing transfer, new loan or recently closed purchase can create confusion over which company is responsible.

The safest check is simple: Look at the mortgage account for an escrow withdrawal, then check the county tax account to make sure the balance has been paid.

Homeowners without escrow must make their own payment. Online bank payments or electronic checks may be free, while credit- and debit-card payments can carry convenience fees.

What happens after a home sale?

Tax bills remain connected with the person who owned the property on Jan. 1, even if the home was sold later in the year.

Buyers and sellers usually divide the expected annual taxes during closing. That appears as a credit or charge on the closing statement, but the county still expects one complete payment by the deadline.

Anyone who bought or sold a home this year should check the closing documents and confirm who must submit the actual payment. Gwinnett provides a fuller explanation of tax responsibility after a property transfer.

An unpaid balance can eventually produce a lien. That makes it risky for either party to assume the closing attorney, mortgage company or other party has already handled everything.

Late payments become more expensive

Fulton begins charging interest the day after the deadline. A 5% penalty is added after 120 days, followed by another 5% every 120 days until the penalty reaches a maximum of 20%.

Gwinnett currently charges 0.81% interest for each calendar month or portion of a month in which a balance remains unpaid. Its penalty also begins at 5% after 120 days and can eventually reach 20%. The county’s delinquent-tax explanation also warns that continued nonpayment can lead to a tax lien.

The practical takeaway is straightforward: North Fulton homeowners should verify payment before Oct. 15, Forsyth homeowners should plan for Nov. 15, and Gwinnett homeowners should watch for the deadline on their forthcoming 2026 bill.