When you buy a vehicle, you'll pay a one-time 6.5 percent tax. That percentage is scheduled to increase slightly each year.

If you bought a car before January 2012, you're still obligated to pay the birthday tax. The new law applies to all vehicles bought in Georgia, no matter where they are purchased. 

About the Author

Keep Reading

Georgia Power's Plant Bowen in Cartersville is shown. The utility wants to add about 10,000 megawatts of power supplies in just five years, mainly to serve data centers. (Hyosyb Shin/AJC 2015)

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Featured

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney — pictured during a hearing Monday, Dec. 15, 2025 — has cleared the way for Georgia's State Election Board to obtain Fulton ballots and other documents from the 2020 election. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC