In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, truck drivers and motorists fueling in Georgia will soon get a break from state fuel taxes at the pump.
Gov. Brian Kemp announced on Tuesday, Oct. 1 that he is suspending the state’s fuel taxes.
Starting Thursday, Oct. 3, motorists will be relieved from paying the state’s 32.3-cent gas tax or its 36.2-cent diesel tax. The tax break is scheduled to be in place for one week.
The tax break is part of a state of emergency extended by the governor following Hurricane Helene.
Kemp said the emergency declaration is necessary “due to the potential negative impacts” of last week’s storm.
“Tropical Storm Helene, later Hurricane Helene, has negatively impacted the supply chain of goods and services to impacted areas and the social and economic wellbeing of Georgia’s residents,” he wrote in his executive order.
As Georgians recover from Hurricane Helene, with the support of our legislative partners, I have suspended the gas tax for the duration of this State of Emergency – bringing relief to communities who continue to rely on fuel to power their homes and necessary equipment. pic.twitter.com/hrv5QKnewf
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) October 1, 2024
IFTA effect
The Georgia Department of Revenue confirmed to Land Line Media that all motor carriers licensed with the International Fuel Tax Agreement and traveling in Georgia will be exempt from motor fuel excise tax during the suspension period.
During the tax suspension, motor carriers will be able to purchase qualifying motor fuel tax-free and travel non-taxable miles in the state. IFTA returns are still required to be filed for the quarter that includes the tax-suspension period.
As was the case during previous tax suspensions, the state asks truck drivers to “please ensure that all fuel purchases are reported on IFTA returns to accurately reflect your miles per gallon for the suspension period.” Reports are supposed to include both tax-free and tax-paid purchases.
All miles traveled in Georgia from Thursday, Oct. 3 through Wednesday, Oct. 9 should be reported as non-IFTA miles.
Previous fuel tax relief
The state of Georgia is no stranger to fuel tax suspensions. Kemp suspended state fuel tax collections in March 2022 and extended the suspension seven times through mid-January 2023.
At the time, the governor said the emergency declaration was necessary to reduce the impact of “40-year-high negative economic conditions.”
Kemp’s office reported that Georgians saved about $1.7 billion in at the pump during that time period.
A second round of fuel tax breaks was in place from September 2023 to November 2023. LL
Check out more Land Line coverage of Georgia news here.
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