Changes are coming to Cherokee County property taxes next year

Two new laws will limit how much the taxable value of a Cherokee County home can grow for school tax purposes, starting January 1, 2027. One passed statewide. The other was approved specifically for Cherokee County by voters just last week.

What’s happening: A statewide law passed during the 2024 legislative session caps how much the taxable value of a primary home can increase each year for school taxes. The cap is either the rate of inflation or 3%, whichever is lower. A second law, Senate Bill 407, was approved by Cherokee County voters November 3 and adds a separate local cap of 4% per year on the same school taxes.

What’s important: Cherokee County Schools had previously chosen not to participate in the statewide cap for 2025 and 2026. That option no longer exists. Senate Bill 33, passed earlier this year, removed the ability of local school districts to opt out, meaning Cherokee County Schools must now follow the statewide cap along with the additional local one.

What homeowners need to know: Most homeowners do not need to do anything. If a homestead exemption is already on file, the Tax Assessor’s Office will automatically apply whichever cap saves the homeowner the most money. Homeowners who do not yet have a homestead exemption must file for one before the deadline to appeal the current year’s taxes.

By the numbers: Cherokee County homeowners with a homestead exemption are now protected by several overlapping tax limits:

• A property value freeze for the county’s general operating tax rate, in place since 2009.
• The statewide cap, tied to inflation or 3%, for the fire district tax rate.
• That same statewide cap now applied to the school operating tax rate.
• A full school tax exemption for homeowners 62 and older who have held a homestead exemption for at least five years.
• Separate limits on taxable value for city taxes.

The path forward: With the opt-out option gone and both caps taking effect at the same time, Cherokee County homeowners who qualify will see their school tax bills grow more slowly regardless of how fast their home’s market value rises. Homeowners who have not yet filed for a homestead exemption should contact the Cherokee County Tax Assessor’s Office as soon as possible to avoid missing the filing deadline.