Gwinnett uses senior exemptions to woo retirees

An article entitled “10 reasons why you should retire in Gwinnett County” recently appeared in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. It listed the number one reason to retire in Gwinnett as a homestead exemption from school taxes for seniors, saying:

1. Gwinnett has several exemptions for property taxes, including two for seniors, county communications director Joe Sorenson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

• The Senior School Tax Exemption (L5A) provides seniors ages 65 and older a 100 percent exemption from taxes levied by the Gwinnett County Board of Education on your home and up to one acre of property.
• The Regular School Tax Exemption (S3) provides seniors ages 62 and older a partial exemption from school taxes. 

Although the article doesn't mention it, Gwinnett's website says there are income restrictions to qualify for their two senior exemptions.

Voters in Decatur will have the chance to decide in November whether there should be an exemption here (similar to Gwinnett's L5A), which would exempt homeowners over the age of 65 for at least the next five years.