Politics & Government

Tax Reform Vote Slated for Next Week

Georgia General Assembly expected to vote on HB 387.

The Georgia General Assembly will convene April 11 for day 38 of the 40-day legislative session.

One of the most pressing items on the agenda is HB 387, the General Assembly’s tax reform legislation. Lawmakers are expected to vote on the 69-page bill on Monday, April 11, or Tuesday, April 12, according to Ray Newman, an ethics and religious affairs specialist for the Georgia Baptist Convention (GBC).

Newman has been busy lobbying against HB 387 on behalf of the GBC. Church leaders are , which include charitable contributions, at $17,000 for a married couple and $8,500 for a single person.

Find out what's happening in Daculawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“That’s going to ruin many of our little churches,” Newman said. He believes the cap will hurt other charitable organizations such as the American Red Cross as well.

“I think it was an ill conceived idea,” he said.

Find out what's happening in Daculawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Newman is also concerned about .

“What most people don’t understand is that this is a tax increase on the middle class in Georgia,” he said.

Newman said while the personal tax rate is being lowered from 6 percent to 4.5 percent, consumption taxes are being increased. One example is a new 4 percent sales tax on automobile sales between individuals. HB 387 also includes new taxes on automobile repairs and telecommunications services. The new legislation would impose a state tax on satellite services of 7 percent and a combine state and local tax of 7 percent on all non-direct broadcast satellite communications services.

To contact your Dacula representative regarding HB 387, email State Rep. Donna Sheldon (R-105) at donna.sheldon@house.ga.gov or by calling 770-963-5472. State Sen. Renee Untermann (R-45) can be reached at renee.unterman@senate.ga.gov or by calling 770-945-1887.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here