Review of Georgia tax breaks starts with support and skepticism of current incentives

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome, left, and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Shaw Blackmon, R-Bonaire, listen to a presenter during a meeting on tax breaks on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

Georgia lawmakers began a review of state tax breaks Wednesday, with some leaders hoping to reduce breaks to lower the state’s overall income tax rate, while other officials said business tax breaks are important to recruiting industry.

The Joint Tax Credit Review Panel has been years in the making, pushed for by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Hufstetler, a Rome Republican who is a sometime-skeptic of tax breaks. The work could lead to legislation next year.

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, also a Republican, has backed the review with hopes that more limited tax breaks might aid in his goal of lowering or eliminating the state income tax.