You must file with the county or city where your home is located. Each county has different applications and required documents.Douglas County has additional exemptions. Most homeowners are eligible for this exemption if they own and occupy their property as their principal place of residence. The proposed amendment authorized the state legislature to implement a statewide local-option homestead exemption from ad valorem taxes. Qualifications: • Must be an un-remarried surviving spouse and a resident of Georgia. • Copy of Death Certificate. A homestead exemption is a legal provision that helps to reduce the amount of property taxes on owner-occupied homes. Ruchi Singh(University of Georgia). "Assessment Regressivity and the Homestead Exemption".