Columbus, Georgia, property owners face a Dec. 1 deadline for the remaining 60% of their 2026 property tax bills after the Oct. 15 deadline for the first 40% passed. The city's published 2026 tax digest estimates $93.36 million in property taxes, up $2.65 million from 2025, even though the main city maintenance-and-operations tax rates are unchanged from last year.

The numbers tell a more complicated story than a straightforward tax increase. Columbus published notices announcing increases of 2% and 4.5% in certain tax districts, but those percentages refer to the legally calculated rollback rates, not increases over the tax rates charged in 2025.

For homeowners, the important questions are how their properties are valued, which exemptions apply, and how much remains unpaid. Here is what the official records show and how to check your own bill.

1. Did Columbus raise property taxes in 2026?

Columbus published a Notice of Property Tax Increase ahead of public hearings on June 2 and June 9, 2026. The notice identified two groups of urban services districts and stated that the proposed millage rates would exceed the calculated rollback rates.

The announced increases were 2% for Urban Services Districts 1, 5, 6 and 7, and 4.5% for Urban Services District 2. These percentages did not mean that every homeowner's total bill would rise by those amounts.

The city's published tax digest provides another important piece of information: The net maintenance-and-operations rates listed for both district groups are identical in 2025 and 2026.

Source: Columbus Consolidated Government, Current 2026 Tax Digest and Five-Year History of Levy.

These are the city's published maintenance-and-operations rates. They should not be mistaken for the complete combined rate appearing on every property owner's bill, which can contain additional tax components.

A homeowner's bill can increase even when a particular millage rate stays unchanged. Changes in assessed value, exemptions and other applicable levies can affect the amount owed.

2. Why did the city announce a tax increase if rates stayed the same?

The difference involves Georgia's rollback-rate calculations. A rollback rate is designed to account for changes in the taxable property digest, including reassessments, so that officials can evaluate how much revenue a proposed rate would generate.

Columbus's official notice compared the proposed rates with these calculated rollback rates. It did not compare the proposals exclusively with the previous year's adopted rates.

Here is what the city published:

The 2% and 4.5% figures in the notice were the city's published tax-increase estimates for the affected district groups. The notice also supplied examples of how much the proposed increases would cost properties with specified market values.

The distinction matters because taxpayers may hear that taxes increased and assume the government raised its rate compared with 2025. In this case, the city's published figures show unchanged net maintenance-and-operations rates alongside a higher estimated total levy.

3. How much additional property tax revenue is Columbus expecting?

The city's 2026 tax digest estimates that its net property tax levy will reach $93,362,735, compared with $90,710,672 in 2025. That represents an estimated increase of $2,652,063, or 2.92%, according to the published figures.

The increase is not divided equally among the tax districts. Most of the expected additional revenue comes from the group containing Urban Services Districts 1, 5, 6 and 7.

The numbers show why a tax rate and tax revenue are not interchangeable. A government can receive more money from property taxes without raising its rate if the amount of taxable property value increases.

The 2026 figures are identified as estimates in the city's published digest. They describe expected government revenue, not a guarantee about what any individual owner will pay.

4. How does Columbus calculate a property tax bill?

Georgia generally assesses taxable real estate at 40% of fair market value. Columbus's Board of Tax Assessors establishes the property value, while the applicable millage rates determine how much tax is charged against taxable assessed value.

A mill is equal to $1 of tax for every $1,000 of taxable assessed value. In formula form, the basic calculation is:

Taxable assessed value ÷ 1,000 × millage rate = property tax

Before applying the millage rate, the owner must account for any qualifying exemptions or assessment limitations. Those adjustments are important because two similarly valued properties may have different taxable values.

To illustrate the calculation, consider a hypothetical property with a fair market value of $200,000. Its assessment at 40% would be $80,000 before exemptions or other adjustments.

For illustration only, applying the published 15.15-mill city maintenance-and-operations rate without exemptions would produce:

This $1,212 figure is not a complete property tax bill. It excludes other potentially applicable tax components and assumes no exemptions, preferential assessments or other adjustments.

The example demonstrates how the millage formula works. Homeowners should use the taxable value and individual rates printed on their actual bills rather than treating this simplified calculation as a payment estimate.

5. How much did the city say its proposed increase would cost?

Columbus included four property examples in its official tax-increase notice. They show how the difference between its proposed millage rates and rollback rates translated into additional taxes for properties with specified fair market values.

These figures come directly from the city's notice and are not newly calculated household bills. They measure the effect of the proposed rate compared with the notice's rollback-rate benchmark.

For example, the notice lists a 0.262-mill difference in Districts 1, 5, 6 and 7. On a non-homestead property with a $250,000 fair market value, the basic arithmetic is $250,000 × 40% = $100,000 assessed value; $100,000 ÷ 1,000 × 0.262 = $26.20.

That matches the city's published example. The homeowner examples differ because applicable homestead treatment affects the taxable amount.

6. When are Columbus property taxes due in 2026?

Columbus property taxes are paid in two installments unless the taxpayer chooses to pay the full amount with the first installment. The Tax Commissioner's published calendar identifies October as the first payment period and December as the second.

The city's 2026 tax ordinance provides the specific deadlines: Oct. 15 for the first installment and Dec. 1 for the remaining installment. The ordinance states that delinquency begins Oct. 16 if the required first payment is missed, and Dec. 2 for an unpaid second installment.

Because Oct. 15 has already passed, residents who made the required installment payment should check their remaining balances now. Those who missed the deadline should contact the Tax Commissioner's Office to determine the amount currently due, including any charges.

The ordinance also addresses delinquent interest and penalties. Taxpayers should rely on their current account balances rather than assuming that paying only the original installment amount will settle an overdue account.

7. What does the 40% and 60% payment arrangement look like?

The installment arrangement is straightforward once the amount shown on the bill is known. A homeowner who owes $2,000 in total property taxes, for example, could divide that amount into two required payments under the published schedule.

The example would work as follows:

This is a hypothetical bill chosen only to illustrate installment arithmetic. It is not an estimate of the average Columbus homeowner's taxes.

For taxpayers who pay through a mortgage escrow account, the payment process may look different. Homeowners should review their mortgage statements and tax account records to confirm how their property taxes are being handled, rather than submitting a duplicate payment.

8. Can a homestead exemption lower your Columbus property taxes?

Yes. Columbus offers a standard homestead exemption for eligible owner-occupied primary residences, along with additional exemptions for certain qualifying homeowners.

The Tax Commissioner's website lists the standard H1(S1) exemption as a $13,500 reduction in assessed value. The office also states that this exemption freezes the property assessment and applies to qualifying maintenance-and-operations levies, but not to the portion levied for bond indebtedness.

Other published programs include exemptions for qualifying older homeowners, disabled veterans and certain surviving spouses. Eligibility rules vary, and the local office requires supporting documents for particular exemptions.

Homeowners applying for a homestead exemption generally must establish that the property is their primary residence. The office lists a recorded deed and Georgia driver's license reflecting the current address among its application requirements.

The application deadline for the current tax year is April 1, although the office also describes an application opportunity during the assessment appeal period. Because that deadline has passed for 2026, homeowners considering an exemption for the future should contact the office about eligibility and timing.

9. What if you disagree with your property's assessed value?

Columbus property owners have an assessment appeal process through the Board of Tax Assessors. The office mails annual assessment notices, and owners generally have 45 days from the assessment notice date to file an appeal.

According to the Tax Commissioner's guidance, an appeal may challenge value, uniformity, taxability or the denial of an exemption. The written appeal begins with the Board of Tax Assessors, and the available procedures include review by the Board of Equalization.

The important distinction is between appealing an assessment and disputing a tax rate. The assessors determine property values and process assessment appeals, while elected authorities establish the rates used to fund government operations.

An assessment appeal also does not automatically eliminate the obligation to pay taxes. The Tax Commissioner's guidance explains that temporary bills during an appeal require payment based on the applicable statutory formula and due date.

Anyone considering an appeal should review the assessment notice, the date it was issued and the official filing instructions. The normal appeal window for a notice mailed earlier in 2026 may already have closed.

10. Where can homeowners check their bills and get help?

Property owners can begin at the Muscogee County Tax Commissioner's website, which provides links to the property tax payment service and the public property-record search. The online resources allow owners to review information associated with their properties without relying exclusively on the paper notice.

The Tax Commissioner's Property/Delinquent Tax Office can be reached at 706-653-4211. Its published office address is 3111 Citizens Way, Columbus, GA 31906, and listed business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For assessment and valuation questions, the Board of Tax Assessors can be contacted at 706-653-4398. That office is responsible for determining property values and processing assessment-related matters.

Owners should check that the property identification, assessed value, applicable exemptions, tax districts, installment payments and remaining balance are correct. If an account appears to show an unpaid amount that has already been submitted, the Tax Commissioner's Office is the appropriate place to verify the payment status.

What Columbus homeowners should do before December

The most immediate concern for Columbus property owners is the second installment deadline. Taxpayers who paid the first 40% in October should verify the balance due and arrange payment of the remaining 60% by Dec. 1.

Residents who have questions about valuation or exemptions should address those separately from the payment deadline. A lower tax rate, a lower assessment and an exemption are different things, and each can affect a property tax calculation in a different way.

Columbus's published figures also provide perspective on the broader budget. The city estimates $93.36 million in net property taxes for 2026, while keeping the published net maintenance-and-operations rates unchanged from 2025.

The most useful number for individual property owners, however, remains the one on their own bill. Checking the taxable value, exemptions, applicable rates and recorded payments is the best way to understand exactly what they owe.

How we did this

Columbus Times reviewed the Columbus Consolidated Government's official 2026 property-tax-increase notice and its Current 2026 Tax Digest and Five-Year History of Levy. We also examined the Muscogee County Tax Commissioner's payment schedule, homestead-exemption information and assessment-appeal guidance, along with the Board of Tax Assessors' explanation of property valuation.

The tax digest's 2026 revenue figures are published estimates. The hypothetical bill and installment calculations are explanatory examples, not actual tax assessments or estimates of an individual homeowner's complete bill.