Gov. Sonny Perdue announced Wednesday that his 2007 legislative package will include eliminating state income tax on retirement income, a promise he made to Georgians while on the campaign trail this fall.
"I'm proud of the fact that we ran on a platform limited to promises that we could keep and that would have a positive impact on our economy for the future," Gov. Perdue said to attendees at today's annual state Economic Outlook Luncheon. "We will keep our promise to eliminate taxes on senior citizens. This will prove to be a positive factor in Georgia's long-term vitality."
The tax cut will completely eliminate state income tax on retirement income, such as pensions or certain interest income, for Georgians 65 and older. This $142 million a year in tax relief will add to the more than $2 billion in tax relief that Gov. Perdue has delivered since taking office in 2003.
Georgia taxpayers currently have one of the lowest state tax burdens in the nation. Based on 2005 data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, Georgia has the 9th lowest per capita tax burden of any state in the nation - an improvement from 13th when Gov. Perdue took office.