Selling a House With Delinquent Property Taxes in Georgia
Yes, you can sell a Georgia house with back taxes; they're paid off at closing. Georgia counties set their own due dates, and once taxes go unpaid, the tax commissioner sends a 30-day notice, issues a tax execution (a fi. fa.) and can schedule a tax sale on the first Tuesday of the month. A tax sale doesn't end your rights right away. You can generally redeem for at least 12 months by paying the sale price plus a 20% premium, and longer if the buyer never sends a proper notice. If the sale brings more than the taxes, the excess may be yours.
Reviewed by Dennis Fassett, founder of Dennis Buys Houses · Updated November 2026
For Georgia owners and heirs behind on property taxes. General information, not legal advice. Your county tax commissioner runs the process.
From Missed Bill to Tax Sale
- 1The due date
Set by your county. Gwinnett's 2026 bills were due November 15. The tax lien attaches on January 1 of each tax year.
- 230-day notice
The tax commissioner gives notice before issuing a lien on real property.
- 3Tax execution (fi. fa.)
The lien is recorded, with fees, and stays until paid.
- 4Levy and advertising
The sale is advertised for four weeks, and the owner gets a notice at least 10 days before.
- 5First-Tuesday tax sale
The property is auctioned, subject to your right to redeem. (O.C.G.A. § 48-4-40)
How Cobb and Gwinnett Run Their Sales
Cobb holds tax sales on the first Tuesday of scheduled months, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., on the steps of the Superior Court building in Marietta, with four weeks of ads in the Marietta Daily Journal and a certified letter to the owner at least 10 days ahead. (Cobb County tax sale booklet) Gwinnett holds a few first-Tuesday sales a year outside the Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville and advertises in the Gwinnett Daily Post. (Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner – Tax Liens and Tax Sales)
Redeeming After a Tax Sale
For at least 12 months after the sale, the owner or anyone with an interest can redeem. (O.C.G.A. § 48-4-40) The price is the amount the buyer paid, plus a 20% premium for the first year or part of a year and 10% for each year after that, plus taxes the buyer paid since. (O.C.G.A. § 48-4-42)
After the 12 months, the buyer can send a formal notice cutting off redemption on a set date, served through the sheriff. Until that notice is properly given, the right to redeem usually continues. (O.C.G.A. § 48-4-45)
A Georgia tax sale isn't the end, but the 20% premium is steep. Paying, or selling before the sale, almost always costs less than redeeming afterward.
Want a Number to Compare Against?
Tell me what's owed and about the house. I'll give you an as-is number to set beside paying or redeeming, and tell you which makes more sense.
Call the Tax Commissioner First
Ask what's owed for each year, whether a fi. fa. has been recorded, whether the house is on an upcoming sale list, the exact payoff and the last day to pay before the sale. Cobb and Gwinnett post their starting-bid lists, which update as accounts are paid.
Excess Funds Belong to the Owner and Lienholders
If the tax sale brings more than the taxes and costs, the excess is held for the record owner and anyone with a recorded interest, in order of priority. The tax commissioner must mail notice within 30 days of the sale, and unclaimed funds go to the state after five years. (O.C.G.A. § 48-4-5) You can claim directly; Gwinnett posts its list online. (Gwinnett excess funds list)
Keep It or Sell It
Keep It
If you can pay the balance or redeem and then stay current, do it, and make sure your homestead exemption is in place.
Sell It
If the taxes, insurance and repairs are more than you can carry, a sale pays the taxes or the redemption amount at closing and you keep the rest.
When the house needs work or a sale date is on the calendar, an as-is sale can close before it. For the fewest moving parts, sell it as-is to a real estate investor. There are no strangers walking through, no contractors to hire, nothing to box up or haul off, and the closing lands on the date you choose. Dennis Buys Houses means it when we say no clean-out. Set aside whatever you want to keep and leave the rest where it sits. We handle it from there, and anything that looks personal or valuable gets returned to you.
Selling After a Tax Sale
Until the right to redeem is cut off, you still own the house subject to the tax deed. A sale can pay the redemption amount at closing. The title company will want the exact figure, so start early.
An Inherited House With Back Taxes
Taxes often go unpaid after a death while the family figures out who's in charge. Heirs and the estate can redeem. Get someone with authority in place, then deal with the taxes before a sale is scheduled. (See How to Sell a House in Probate in Georgia and Selling an Inherited House in Georgia.)
Back Taxes vs. a Mortgage Foreclosure
A tax sale and a mortgage foreclosure are separate, and both happen on first Tuesdays in Georgia. If you're behind on both, the mortgage is usually the faster threat. (See Selling a House in Foreclosure in Georgia.)
Common Mistakes
- Assuming you lost the house the day of the tax sale.
- Waiting until after the sale and paying the 20% premium.
- Ignoring a notice that your right to redeem is ending.
- Leaving excess funds unclaimed.
- Paying a stranger a cut to claim money you can claim yourself.
- Losing the homestead exemption without noticing.
Where I Fit, and Where I Don't
I help most when several years have stacked up, a tax sale is scheduled or already happened, the house needs work, or it's inherited or empty.
There's also nothing to empty out for Dennis Buys Houses. Whatever you'd rather not deal with stays, and it becomes our job.
If you live there and can pay it off and stay current, that's usually the better choice, and I'll say so.
Whichever way it shakes out, I'll tell you upfront whether I'm the right fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Back taxes, fi. fa. fees and any redemption amount are paid at closing.
Each county sets its own date. Gwinnett's 2026 bills were due November 15.
At least 12 months, and the right usually continues until the buyer gives a proper notice ending it.
No. With an as-is sale, take what you want and leave the rest. Dennis Buys Houses handles what's left.
The tax sale price plus a 20% premium for the first year, 10% for each year after, plus taxes the buyer has paid.
Excess funds are held for the record owner and lienholders in order of priority. You can claim them yourself.
Your county tax commissioner handles payoffs and tax sales. Cobb County tax sale booklet and Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner – Tax Liens and Tax Sales explain the local process. Key statutes: O.C.G.A. § 48-4-40, O.C.G.A. § 48-4-42 and O.C.G.A. § 48-4-5.
Georgia Selling Guides
- How to Sell a House in Probate in Georgia
- Selling an Inherited House in Georgia
- Selling a Vacant House in Georgia
- Selling a House With Bad Tenants in Georgia
- Selling a House in Foreclosure in Georgia
Behind on Georgia Property Taxes?
Tell me what's owed and where things stand. You'll get a straight as-is number, and if paying or redeeming is the smarter answer, I'll tell you.