Sen. John Albers Applauds Senate Passage of Historic Income Tax Relief Package

ATLANTA (February 13, 2025) - This week, Sen. John Albers (R-Roswell) joined his Senate Republican Caucus colleagues in passing Senate Bill 476 and Senate Bill 477, sponsored by Sen. Blake Tillery (R-Vidalia). These measures will deliver the largest tax relief in Georgia's history and position the state to completely eliminate the state income tax.

As neighboring states aggressively cut taxes or move to eliminate income taxes altogether, Georgia must maintain its competitive edge to continue supporting the families and businesses that drive our state's economy and growth.

"This progress is the result of years of disciplined, conservative decision-making," said Sen. Albers. "When Republicans first took control of state government, Georgia's income tax rate was 6 percent, and it had been there for more than 30 years under Democratic leadership. We've now lowered that rate to 5.19 percent and returned billions of dollars to the people who earned it. These pieces of legislation were only the next step in that mission."

Senate Bill 476 follows through on Governor Kemp's goal of cutting the state income tax rate to 4.99% for both individuals and corporations. It also dramatically increases the standard deduction to $100,000 for married couples and $50,000 for those filing individually, instantly delivering a 5% raise for Georgians across the state. To offset the cost, the legislation eliminates or scales back 29 targeted tax credits and applies a five-year sunset to ensure continued legislative oversight.

"Senate Bill 476 simplifies the tax code and makes life more affordable for the vast majority of Georgians," added Sen. Albers. "This is the definition of a kitchen-table issue. Families and small businesses know best how to manage their own budgets, and they are the ones who enable us to come to the Capitol every day to fight on their behalf. Our job is to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars, and these bills do exactly that by providing relief while safeguarding the state's financial future."

Senate Bill 477 builds on that commitment by setting the income tax rate at 4.99% and creating a clear path to lower the personal rate to 4.49% in 2027 and 3.99% in 2028, subject to a revenue trigger. The measure also raises the standard deduction to $16,000 for single filers and $32,000 for married couples while retaining the 4.99% corporate rate.

These bills take a targeted approach to addressing affordability challenges facing Georgians while maintaining the state's strong fiscal position. Georgia's adherence to responsible budgeting has contributed to its financial stability and will support its continued growth in the years ahead.

You can read more about SB 476 and SB 477 here.

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Sen. John Albers serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Safety. He represents the 56^th Senate District, which includes portions of Cherokee, Cobb and Fulton counties. He may be reached by phone at (404) 463-8055 or by email at [email protected].

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