Bill would cut income tax, raise sales tax rate

A bill to be filed in the state House on Tuesday will cut Georgia’s income tax rate while adding a penny-on-the-dollar to the state sales tax rate.

House Bill 445, by Rep. John Carson, R-Marietta, will be unveiled at a Monday afternoon news conference. The bill, a copy of which was obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, lowers the state income tax from 6 percent to 4 percent over several years.

In addition to increasing the state sales tax from 4 percent to 5 percent, the bill would also eliminate more than a dozen tax breaks, including one that benefits Delta Air Lines. Other credits on the chopping block include breaks for childcare expenses, some job-creation programs and low-emission vehicles.