ATLANTA (February 12, 2026) — Today, Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte (R–Dallas) joined his Senate Republican Caucus colleagues in passing Senate Bill 476 and Senate Bill 477 sponsored by Sen. Blake Tillery (R–Vidalia). These historic measures will deliver the largest tax relief in Georgia’s history and will position the state to completely eliminate the state income tax.
As neighboring states aggressively lower taxes, or have no income tax entirely, Georgia must keep its competitive edge to support the families and businesses that have kept Georgia the number one place to do business, live and raise a family.
“This didn’t happen by accident,” said Leader Anavitarte. “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. Through years of disciplined, conservative budgeting, we’ve lowered that rate to 5.19 percent and returned billions of dollars to the people who earned it. Today is the next step in that mission.”
Senate Bill 476 accomplishes Governor Kemp’s goal of cutting the state income tax rate to 4.99% for both personal and corporate filers while dramatically increasing the standard deduction to $100,000 for married couples and $50,000 for those filing individually, instantly creating a 5% raise for Georgians across the state.
“SB 476 is about simplifying the tax code, making it fairer and putting more money directly back into the pockets of hardworking Georgians,” added Leader Anavitarte. “Government doesn’t create prosperity; it is families and small businesses that do. Taken together, these two bills are transformational. They create a clear, responsible pathway to eliminating the state income tax altogether. At a time when families are struggling with higher costs, we are choosing to trust them, not the government, with their own money. This is about affordability, freedom and making sure Georgia families always come first.”
Senate Bill 477 also keeps Governor Kemp’s promise of cutting the state income tax rate to 4.99% for both individuals and corporations and establishes a pathway to further reduce the personal income tax to 4.49% in 2027 and 3.99% in 2028, contingent upon revenue triggers. This bill also increases the standard deduction to $16,000 for single filers and $32,000 for married couples while holding the corporate rate steady at 4.99%.
These bills aim for a targeted, disciplined approach to keeping Georgia competitive and addressing the affordability challenges families across the nation face. The reinforcement of sound fiscal policy, such as this, has kept Georgia in a strong financial position, and will continue to do so for decades to come.
You can read more about SB 476 and SB 477 here.
# # # #
Sen. Jason Anavitarte serves as Senate Majority Leader. He represents the 31st Senate District, which includes Polk County and a portion of Paulding County. He may be reached at (404) 656-0085 or by email at Jason.Anavitarte@senate.ga.gov.
For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.