Athens, Alabama

Athens and Limestone County: newcomers, plant workers and adult students

Athens is about 53 miles, or 70 minutes, from our office in Arab. Please call first and we will set a time so the drive is worth your while.

Call 256-586-4635 Contact us

We have one office, in Arab. We do not have an office in Athens.

What Athens clients ask

This is general information, not advice for your return. Every return is different, so please call us to talk about yours.

I go to Athens State at night while I work. Can I claim anything?

Possibly an education credit, depending on who pays, your income and whether your employer covers part of the cost. Bring your 1098-T and your receipts for required fees and books.

Income tax services

We moved to Limestone County for a job this year. What do we file?

Alabama Form 40 as part-year residents, and a return for the state you left if it taxes income. A move is also a good time to set your withholding for Alabama.^[6]

Income tax services

I retired from TVA. Will Alabama tax my pension?

Alabama lists TVA retirement among the pensions exempt from state income tax. Other retirement accounts, such as a 401(k) or IRA, are treated differently.^[7]

Tax planning

Alabama’s oldest college town

Athens, the Limestone County seat, is home to Athens State University, founded in 1822 and Alabama’s oldest institution of higher learning; its students are mostly transfer and working adults. In 1934 Athens became the first city in Alabama to buy its electricity from TVA, and the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention comes to town every October. With so many working adults in class, education credits and employer tuition help are common questions in the returns we see from Athens.^[2,5]

Limestone County grew from about 82,800 people in 2010 to about 103,600 in 2020, and TVA’s Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, its largest, sits beside Wheeler Reservoir near Athens. Growth like that brings newcomers filing part-year returns, and the plant and utility jobs nearby bring their own withholding and retirement questions.^[3,4]

The Athens State University campus — Athens State University, Athens

Athens at a glance

25,406 residents at the 2020 Census.^[1]
Alabama does not tax TVA pensions or Social Security.^[7]

For Limestone County

Newcomers Part-year and multi-state returns for your first year in Athens. Plant and utility workers Withholding checks and questions about TVA and other retirement plans. Adult students Education credits, employer tuition help and the 1098-T.

Athens to Arab

Call 256-586-4635 first and we will set a time, so your trip to our Arab office is well spent.

Call 256-586-4635 Other towns we serve

Sources

Local details on this page come from these public sources, checked in September 2026.