Georgia House Democrats have introduced a resolution that would ask voters to change how the state taxes personal income.
What’s Happening: House Resolution 1504, nicknamed the “Tax the Rich Act,” would amend the Georgia Constitution to require a progressive individual income tax.
What a progressive tax means: Right now, Georgia uses a flat income tax, meaning every earner pays the same rate no matter how much they make. A progressive income tax works differently: people who earn more money pay a higher rate, and people who earn less pay a lower rate.
What the bill does: The resolution would remove a section of the Georgia Constitution that currently bans raising the state income tax above the rate that was in effect on January 1, 2015. In its place, the resolution would require the General Assembly to create a new income tax system built around a progressive structure. That system would also have to tax all categories of individual income at substantially equal rates.
What’s Important: This is a resolution, not a law. If it passes the General Assembly, the question goes to Georgia voters, who would decide whether to add the change to the state constitution.
If the amendment were to land in front of voters, the language on the ballot would be as follows:
( ) YES
( ) NO
Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to require the General Assembly to provide by general law for an income tax system to be known as the ‘Tax the Rich Act’?”
All persons desiring to vote in favor of ratifying the proposed amendment shall vote “Yes.” All persons desiring to vote against ratifying the proposed amendment shall vote “No.” If such amendment shall be ratified as provided in said Paragraph of the Constitution, it shall become a part of the Constitution of this state.
The Path Forward: If voters approve the amendment, the General Assembly would be constitutionally required to write a new income tax law that follows the progressive structure the resolution describes.
