Section 48-5-41. Property exempt from taxation

   (a) The following property shall be exempt from all ad valorem property taxes in this state:
      (1)(A) Except as provided in this paragraph, all public property.

      (B) No public real property which is owned by a political subdivision of this state and which is situated outside the territorial limits of the political subdivision shall be exempt from ad valorem taxation unless the property is:

         (i) Developed by grading or other improvements to the extent of at least 25 percent of the total land area and facilities are located on the property which are actively used for a public or governmental purpose;

         (ii) Three hundred acres or less in area;

         (iii) Located inside a county embracing all or part of a municipality owning such property; or

         (iv) That portion of any real property which has been designated as a watershed by the United States Soil and Water Conservation Service and used as a watershed by the political subdivision owning the property.

      (C) Property which is owned by and used exclusively as the general state headquarters of a nonprofit corporation organized for the primary purpose of encouraging cooperation between parents and teachers to promote the education and welfare of children and youth, notwithstanding the fact that such nonprofit corporation may derive income from fees or dues paid by persons, organizations, or associations to affiliate with such nonprofit corporation, shall be considered to be an extension of the public schools of this state and such property shall be considered to be public property within the meaning of this paragraph.

      (D) Property which is held by a Georgia nonprofit corporation whose income is exempt from federal income tax pursuant to Section 115 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and held exclusively for the benefit of a county, municipality, or school district shall be considered to be public property within the meaning of this paragraph.

      (E) Property which qualifies as a public-private transportation project pursuant to Code Section 32-2-80 which property is owned or leased by the state, a state agency, or another governmental entity and which is developed, operated, or held by a private partner shall be considered to be public property within the meaning of this paragraph.

   (2) All places of burial;
      (2.1)(A) All places of religious worship; and

      (B) All property owned by and operated exclusively as a church, an association or convention of churches, a convention mission agency, or as an integrated auxiliary of a church or convention or association of churches, when such entity is qualified as an exempt religious organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and such property is used in a manner consistent with such exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;

   (3) All property owned by religious groups and used only for single-family residences when no income is derived from the property;

   (4) All institutions of purely public charity;
      (5)(A) All property of nonprofit hospitals used in connection with their operation when the hospitals have no stockholders, have no income or profit which is distributed to or for the benefit of any private person, and are subject to the laws of this state regulating nonprofit or charitable corporations;

      (B) Property exempted pursuant to this paragraph shall not include property of a nonprofit hospital held primarily for investment purposes or used for purposes unrelated to:

         (i) Providing of patient care;

         (ii) Providing and delivery of health care services; or

         (iii) Training and education of physicians, nurses, and other health care personnel;

   (6) All buildings erected for and used as a college, incorporated academy, or other seminary of learning;

   (7) All funds or property held or used as endowment by colleges, nonprofit hospitals, incorporated academies, or other seminaries of learning when the funds or property are not invested in real estate;

   (8) When used by or connected with any public library, all the real and personal property of such library and all the real and personal property of any other literary association;

   (9) All books, philosophical apparatus, paintings, and statuary of any company or association which are kept in a public hall and which are not held as merchandise or for purposes of sale or gain;

   (10) Reserved;

   (11) All property used in or which is a part of any facility which has been installed or constructed at any time for the primary purpose of eliminating or reducing air or water pollution if such facilities have been certified by the Department of Natural Resources as necessary and adequate for the purposes intended;
      (12)(A) Property of a nonprofit home for the aged used in connection with its operation when the home for the aged has no stockholders and no income or profit which is distributed to or for the benefit of any private person and when the home is qualified as an exempt organization under the United States Internal Revenue Code, Section 501(c)(3), as amended, and Code Section 48-7-25, and is subject to the laws of this state regulating nonprofit and charitable corporations;

      (B) Property exempted by this paragraph shall not include property of a home for the aged held primarily for investment purposes or used for purposes unrelated to the providing of residential or health care to the aged;

      (C) For purposes of this paragraph, indirect ownership of such home for the aged through a limited liability company that is fully owned by such exempt organization shall be considered direct ownership;
      (13)(A) All property of any nonprofit home for the mentally disabled used in connection with its operation when the home for the mentally disabled has no stockholders and no income or profit which is distributed to or for the benefit of any private person and when the home is qualified as an exempt organization under the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1954, Section 501(c)(3), as amended, and Code Section 48-7-25, and is subject to the laws of this state regulating nonprofit and charitable corporations.

      (B) Property exempted by this paragraph shall not include property of a home for the mentally disabled held primarily for investment purposes or used for purposes unrelated to the providing of residential or health care to the mentally disabled;

   (14) (A) Property which is owned by and used exclusively as the headquarters, post home, or similar facility of a veterans organization. As used in this paragraph, the term "veterans organization" means any organization or association chartered by the Congress of the United States which is exempt from federal income taxes but only if such organization is a post or organization of past or present members of the armed forces of the United States organized in the State of Georgia with at least 75 percent of the members of which are past or present members of the armed forces of the United States, and where no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual; or

      (B) Property which is owned by and used exclusively by any veterans organization which is qualified as a nonprofit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and which has been organized for the purpose of refurbishing and operating historic military aircraft acquired from the federal government and other sources, making such aircraft airworthy, and putting such aircraft on display to the public for educational purposes; and

   (15) Property that is owned by an historical fraternal benefit association and which is used exclusively for charitable, fraternal, and benevolent purposes. As used in this paragraph "fraternal benefit association" means any organization qualified as an exempt organization under the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1954, Section 501(c)(10), as amended, where such organization has a representative form of government and a lodge system with a ritualistic form of work for the meeting of its chapters or other subordinate bodies and whose founding organization received its charter from the General Assembly of Georgia prior to January 1, 1880.

(b) The exemptions provided for in this Code section which refer to colleges, nonprofit hospitals, incorporated academies, or other seminaries of learning shall only apply to those colleges, nonprofit hospitals, incorporated academies, or other seminaries of learning which are open to the general public.

(c) The property exempted by this Code section, excluding property exempted by paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of this Code section, shall not be used for the purpose of producing private or corporate profit and income distributable to shareholders in corporations owning such property or to other owners of such property, and any income from such property shall be used exclusively for religious, educational, and charitable purposes or for either one or more of such purposes and for the purpose of maintaining and operating such religious, educational, and charitable institutions.

(d) (1) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, this Code section, excluding paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of this Code section, shall not apply to real estate or buildings which are rented, leased, or otherwise used for the primary purpose of securing an income thereon and shall not apply to real estate or buildings which are not used for the operation of religious, educational, and charitable institutions. Donations of property to be exempted shall not be predicated upon an agreement, contract, or other instrument that the donor or donors shall receive or retain any part of the net or gross income of the property.

   (2) With respect to paragraph (4) of subsection (a) of this Code section, a building which is owned by a charitable institution that is otherwise qualified as a purely public charity and that is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code and which building is used by such charitable institution exclusively for the charitable purposes of such charitable institution, and not more than 15 acres of land on which such building is located, may be used for the purpose of securing income so long as such income is used exclusively for the operation of that charitable institution.

Ga. L. 1878-79, p. 32, § 1; Code 1882, § 798; Civil Code 1895, § 762; Civil Code 1910, § 998; Ga. L. 1913, p. 122, § 1; Ga. L. 1919, p. 82, § 1; Code 1933, § 92-201; Ga. L. 1943, p. 348, § 1; Ga. L. 1946, p. 12, § 1; Ga. L. 1947, p. 1183, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1955, p. 262, § 1; Ga. L. 1965, p. 182, § 1; Ga. L. 1967, p. 629, § 1; Ga. L. 1973, p. 19, §§ 1-3; Ga. L. 1973, p. 934, § 1; Ga. L. 1976, p. 639, § 1; Ga. L. 1977, p. 1152, §§ 1, 2; Code 1933, § 91A-1102, enacted by Ga. L. 1978, p. 309, § 2; Ga. L. 1979, p. 5, §§ 29A, 30; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 48; Ga. L. 1984, p. 520, § 1; Ga. L. 1984, p. 1058, § 1; Ga. L. 1984, p. 1253, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 191, § 9; Ga. L. 1994, p. 927, § 1; Ga. L. 1994, p. 965, § 1; Ga. L. 1995, p. 233, § 1; Ga. L. 1995, p. 1302, § 14; Ga. L. 1997, p. 963, § 1; Ga. L. 1998, p. 1015, § 1; Ga. L. 1998, p. 1150, § 2; Ga. L. 2001, p. 1098, § 3; Ga. L. 2006, p. 235, § 1/HB 173; Ga. L. 2006, p. 376, § 1/HB 848; Ga. L. 2007, p. 341, § 1/HB 445; Ga. L. 2010, p. 987, § 1/HB 1186.