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. 

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The main gate of Fort Stewart in Hinesville, Georgia where a soldier shot and injured four soldiers and a former service member on Aug. 6, 2025. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

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Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis testifies before a state Senate committee at the Capitol in Atlanta on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC