Fulton launching homestead exemption crackdown

Fulton County has hired a private firm to hunt down undeserved homestead exemptions on county properties. Atlanta-based ACS Enterprise Solutions will search data from other counties looking for taxpayers with more than one exemption, Chief Appraiser David Fitzgibbon said.

Fulton homeowners can get a $30,000 reduction in their homes’ taxable value if they reside there. The high exemption has been cited as one reason why the county faces a shortfall next year, currently projected at $16.4 million. ACS expects to find an estimated $4 million to $12 million in unpaid taxes and will take a maximum cut of 19 percent of any sums collected.