Fort Payne, Alabama

Fort Payne and DeKalb County: farm sales, cabin rentals and mill history

Fort Payne is about 59 miles, or an hour and a half, from our Arab office. Call first so the trip is worth it.

We have one office, in Arab. We do not have an office in Fort Payne.

The Sock Capital of the World

Fort Payne, the DeKalb County seat, called itself the Sock Capital of the World after hosiery mills took hold here from 1907; most of those mills later closed under foreign competition. The 1889 coal-and-iron boom left behind the Fort Payne Opera House, the oldest theater in Alabama still in use.^[2,3]

Little River Canyon National Preserve, where the river runs along the top of Lookout Mountain, has its office in town, and DeKalb County leads Alabama in farm sales.^[4,5]

What shows up on DeKalb County returns

Farm income: DeKalb is first in the state in total farm sales.^[5]
Tourism: the canyon and Lookout Mountain draw visitors, and some owners rent out cabins.^[4]
14,877 residents at the 2020 Census.^[1]

Little River Falls in Little River Canyon National Preserve — Little River Falls, near Fort Payne

Fort Payne questions

General information, not advice for your return. Every return is different, so call us about yours.

We rent a cabin near the canyon to visitors. What do we report?

Rental income, and the expenses that go with it: cleaning, repairs, supplies, a share of insurance and utilities, and depreciation on the building. How many days you use it yourself matters too, so keep a calendar.

Tax planning

I still work at one of the hosiery mills. My hours changed a lot this year.

Big swings in hours can leave your withholding too high or too low. Bring your last pay stub and we will check it before the year ends.

Income tax services

We raise poultry and cattle. How do we handle the new equipment?

Farm equipment is usually written off over several years, and in some years faster. The choice affects this year and the next several, so it is worth planning rather than guessing.

Tax planning

Help for DeKalb County

Farm families Farm income, expenses and equipment. Cabin and rental owners Rental income and records. Mill and plant employers Payroll and bookkeeping.

Worth the drive to Arab

Call 256-586-4635 first and we will set a time.

Call 256-586-4635 Other towns we serve

Sources

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