Wed., August 25, 2010 5:33pm (EDT)

Perdue Suggests Tossing Income Tax
By Melissa Stiers
Updated: 3 years ago

ATLANTA  —  
Governor Perdue said he would like Georgia to be a no income tax state during this week's meeting of the Special Council on Tax Reform and Fairness for Georgians. (photo courtsey of Daniel Boreman)
Governor Perdue said he would like Georgia to be a no income tax state during this week's meeting of the Special Council on Tax Reform and Fairness for Georgians. (photo courtsey of Daniel Boreman)
A group tasked with overhauling Georgia’s tax code is holding public hearings across the state. The first will be Thursday evening in Atlanta. While the group hasn’t formed recommendations yet, they’re putting forth some bold ideas.

Governor Sonny Perdue sits on the new Special Council on Tax Reform and Fairness for Georgians. At the group's meeting this week he shared his vision for tax reform in the state.

"I’d love to see Georgia in the ranks of a no income tax state," Perdue says. "And if you’re starting from scratch, you might can put that up there. The bridge of how you transition from there to there is the treacherous part."

Perdue says the job of the council is to determine what an ideal tax code looks like and then make recommendations to get there.

But he says it’s ultimately up to policy makers to determine whether the pain of a transition is worth it.

Some other ideas of economists who sit on the panel include reducing the income tax and expanding the sales tax to include food and services like hair cuts and car maintenance work.

The first Fact Finding Meeting of the Special Council on Tax Reform will be held Thursday afternoon in Atlanta.

Here’s a complete listing of tax meetings around the state.

FACT FINDING SESSION SCHEDULE:


(All meetings from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM)

August 26 – Atlanta – Blue Room, Georgia Railroad Freight Depot


65 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive


Atlanta, GA 30334

August 30 – Augusta – Doubletree Hotel, Master’s Ballroom


2651 Perimeter Parkway


Augusta, GA 30909


(706) 855-8100

August 31 – Savannah – Coastal Georgia Center, Auditorium


305 Fahm Street


Savannah, GA 31401


(912) 651-2005

September 1 –Valdosta – Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, Brooks Hall Conference Center


4089 Val Tech Road


Valdosta, GA 31602


(229) 333-2100

September 2 – Macon – Macon State College, Professional Sciences Conference Center, Banquet Hall


100 College Station Drive


Macon, GA 31206


(478) 471-2700

September 7 – Rome – Forum Civic Center, Riverwalk Ballroom Downtown Rome


2 Government Plaza


Rome, Georgia 30162


(706) 291-5281


1-800-858-7601

September 9 –Gainesville – Gainesville State College, Gainesville Campus, Continuing Education, Business Division and Performing Arts Building, Auditorium


3820 Mundy Mill Road


Oakwood, GA 30566


(678) 717-3639