The Chattooga County Tax Assessor’s Office has announced that the tax books are now open for the return of 2026 state and county taxes, with property owners required to make their return on or before April 1, 2026.
Georgia’s net tax collections totaled $2.12 billion in February, a slight decrease of 0.1% compared to February of last year.
Even with that small monthly decline, the state remains ahead overall for the fiscal year. Through the first eight months of the budget year, Georgia has collected about $21.88 billion, an increase of 1.6% over the same period a year ago.
The biggest drop in February came from individual income tax collections, which fell 4.1%. Higher tax refunds were a major factor in that decline, even as withholding payments showed a slight increase.
At the same time, sales tax collections moved higher, providing one of the brighter spots in the report. Motor fuel tax revenues also increased from the same month last year.
Meanwhile, corporate income tax collections posted a sharp decline for the month. The state also reported smaller decreases in motor vehicle tag, title and fee collections.
Despite the mixed results in February, Georgia’s overall revenue picture remains positive for the year so far, with collections continuing to run ahead of last fiscal year’s pace.
The Chattooga County Chamber of Commerce is sharing a reminder from the Chattooga County Commissioner’s Office that a new local sales tax rate is now in effect.
Officials say the Chattooga County sales tax rate increased to 8% beginning January 1, 2026, and businesses are being urged to make sure their registers, point-of-sale systems, invoicing software, and online checkout platforms have been updated to reflect the correct rate.
The reminder encourages all local businesses to verify compliance to avoid pricing errors and accounting issues.
For reference, the Georgia Department of Revenue maintains an online listing of sales tax rates by location.
Georgia State Senator Colton Moore, a Republican from Trenton, who represents Chattooga County and surrounding areas in Northwest Georgia, has introduced a wide-ranging slate of legislation this session, targeting issues from National Guard deployments and gun regulations to taxes, abortion, elections, and lobbying rules. But despite the ambitious scope, the proposals are widely viewed as facing steep obstacles in the Georgia Legislature, where committee gatekeeping and leadership support often determine which bills advance.