Georgia lawmakers are advancing efforts to eliminate the state’s income tax, with Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Blake Tillery (R-Vidalia) promising that a “thorough responsible plan” will be introduced in the 2026 legislative session.
Tillery, who also chairs the Senate Study Committee on Eliminating Georgia’s Income Tax, says the state can follow the lead of nine others that have already done away with personal income taxes. “Georgia should too,” Tillery stated, citing the potential relief for middle-class families struggling with rising costs of living.
The state currently relies heavily on its income tax, which brings in approximately $16 billion annually—nearly half of the state’s total revenue. The committee has met four times and is tasked with developing a replacement plan that does not raise grocery or fuel taxes.
Despite growing momentum among Republican leaders, including Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, the proposal is drawing criticism from policy analysts. A report from the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI) warned that eliminating income tax would result in deep cuts to education and health care—two sectors that make up 73% of the state’s FY 2026 budget.
GBPI’s fiscal analyst Daniel Kanso argued the move would shift the tax burden onto lower- and middle-income families through regressive sales and property taxes. “This would represent the largest transfer of wealth from working and middle-class families to high-income individuals and corporations in state history,” the report said.
Tillery dismissed the criticism as politically motivated. “There’s nothing funny or gimmicky about middle-class families being unable to afford rent, mortgages, gas or groceries,” he said. “Eliminating the income tax lets Georgians keep another 5% of their hard-earned wages to combat these costs.”
With a key meeting still to be scheduled, the debate over Georgia’s income tax future is expected to intensify as the 2026 legislative session approaches.
