Remember when Georgia would do a tax-free weekend during the back to school season? School supplies, clothes, shoes and all kinds of items would be tax free, but the free holiday has been gone for years. Why is that?
Georgia offered tax free back to school weekend from 2002 to 2017, and since then, lawmakers haven’t brought it back. Other states like Florida, Alabama, and South Carolina continue their tax free weekend, but why hasn’t Georgia hopped on board? Here are the facts.
In short, state lawmakers let the program expire and haven’t passed anything to reinstate it. Even though a few tax relief bills were proposed earlier this year, none of them passed before the legislative session ended in April.
Why did they get rid of it?
Some lawmakers and economists argue that tax-free weekends don’t really help working families the way they’re intended. Critics say stores sometimes raise prices during those weekends or that the savings are minimal compared to targeted tax credits and income tax cuts, which Georgia has leaned into instead.
In fact, the state recently rolled out income tax cuts and refundable tax credits for families with kids under five. So, while you’re not getting a break at the register, you might see some relief at tax time next year.