New Gas Tax Hits Rabun County This Week

The Georgia General Assembly passed the Transportation Funding Act of 2015 earlier this year, which will go  into effect Wednesday, July 1st. The measure will convert the current sales tax on gasoline to an excise tax, which would amount to an increase in the price for a gallon of gasoline. The exact increase will depend on the price of gas and diesel, but it will likely be between 6 and 7 cents.

“Even though the gas tax officially increases Wednesday, you likely won’t see an immediate jump in pump prices, because gas stations usually phase-in the price increase over a short period of time rather than all at once,” said Garrett Townsend, Director of Public Affairs for AAA Georgia.  “Regardless of the tax adjustment, motorists are still expected to pay much less at the pump compared to last year. In fact, the change comes at a time when gas prices are on their way back down.”

Fuel prices in Georgia, even with the change in tax, are still expected to be around a dollar less than last summer.