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Fulton County Incentives & Taxes

Fulton County has created a pro-business environment to attract and retain companies from global corporations to entrepreneurial start-ups. Incentives include DAFC taxable and tax-exempt bonds, Select Fulton workforce training, and partnerships with the State of Georgia to provide access to their incentive programs.

The Development Authority of Fulton County (DAFC) issues taxable and tax-exempt bonds for qualified economic development projects across Fulton County and its municipalities. The bonds, the interest on which may be taxable or tax-exempt, facilitate financing for a company or institution, allowing the company to buy land, build new facilities, expand existing facilities, upgrade equipment, or otherwise make investments that enhance value and create jobs within Fulton County.

For projects meeting certain criteria, the DAFC issues a taxable bond (for which the client must identify a purchaser). DAFC holds ownership of the property and leases it to the client.

The leasehold interest in the property is initially valued, for ad valorem tax purposes, at 50% of the assessed fee interest, and that value increases by 5% annually over a 10-year period. Thereafter, the leasehold interest terminates, and the property is fully taxable.

WorkSource Fulton offers an array of services to businesses entering Fulton County both collaboratively and independently. Our Business Services initiative allows the Workforce Development Division to establish employment partnerships with private and public sector companies to meet the company’s employment needs. Our highly skilled team of business consultants refers qualified clients that are screened and assessed, with the best qualified applicants as potential candidates.

  • Job Tax Credit – $1,750 per new job created, minimum 15 new jobs, that can offset 50% of a company’s income tax liability. Fulton County is Tier 3.
  • Special Zones – Fulton County opportunity zones allow companies in these areas to use excess job tax credits to offset state payroll withholding liability. Federal opportunity zones reward private investment with temporary deferrals of federal capital gains taxes.
  • Port Tax Credit - The “port bonus” is an additional $1,250 per job, per year, for up to five years for taxpayers with qualified increases in shipments through a Georgia port. The $1,250 is added to the Job Tax Credit.
  • PPE Production Tax Credit – This credit rewards job creation that expands the manufacture of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and hand sanitizer in Georgia. When eligible, PPE manufacturers can claim an additional $1,250 per job per year for five years.
  • Investment Tax Credit – Fulton County manufacturing and telecommunications companies may receive up to 3% credit toward 50% of their tax liability by making a minimum $100,000 investment in a new or existing facility in Georgia.
  • High-Paying Job Creation Tax Credit – Companies may receive Quality Jobs Tax Credits (QJTC) if they create and maintain net new jobs that pay at least 110% of the county’s average wage.
  • Mega Project Tax Credit – Companies may claim a $5,250 per job, per year, tax credit for the first five years of each net new job position if they hire at least 1,800 net new full-time employees; either invest a minimum of $450 million or have a minimum annual payroll of $150 million; and either pay an average wage above specified minimums or show high growth potential.
  • Digital Entertainment Tax Credit – A tax credit of 20% may be available to digital/interactive entertainment production companies with a minimum of $250,000 in qualified expenditures in Georgia. An additional 10% uplift can be earned by including an embedded Georgia logo and web link on the project’s promotional webpage or through approved alternatives.
  • Research & Development Tax Credit – Georgia companies performing research and development (R&D) activities in the state may be eligible for tax credits.
  • Premium Tax Credit – Georgia offers a tax credit against the annual premium tax applied to insurance companies in the state. The tax credit is earned based on new job creation in Georgia. In Fulton County, the credit is $1,250 applied to 50% of Georgia premium tax liability, contingent on the creation of 15 new jobs.
  • Child Care Tax Credit – For employers who purchase or build a state-licensed child care facility, the credit is equal to 100% of the cost of purchase or construction which is earned over 10 years (10% each year). Unused credits can be carried forward for three years. Employers who provide or sponsor child care at a state-licensed facility are eligible for a credit equal to 75% of the employer’s direct costs.
  • Retraining Tax Credit – This credit mitigates the cost of a company’s investment in new technologies in the form of tax credits for retraining existing employees on the new equipment or sotware.
  • Tax Exemptions – The state offers sales and use tax exemptions for manufacturers, data centers and distribution centers under specific circumstances.

Fulton County is within Foreign Trade Zone #26. An FTZ is a federally designated site created to help businesses remain competitive in a global marketplace, with lower duties, reduced processing fees and quicker movement of goods from the port.

Fulton County offers 100 percent Freeport Exemption on tangible personal property including inventory of goods in process of being manufactured or produced, finished goods manufactured or produced within Georgia and finished goods destined for shipment outside Georgia. Six municipalities in the county also offer 100% Freeport Exemption, and the City of Atlanta offers 20% Freeport Exemption.

In Georgia, property is required to be assessed at 40% of the fair market value unless otherwise specified by law. The Fulton County Board of Commissioners sets the millage rate for the county. The billing and collection of taxes is the responsibility of the Tax Commissioner.

The municipalities within Fulton County each have their own millage rate, which is set and assessed by the municipality and applies in addition to applicable county millage rates.

Fulton County Millage Rates*
  • Fulton County Schools
  • 17.140
  • Atlanta Public Schools
  • 20.500
  • County Incorporated
  • 9.050
  • County Unincorporated
  • 9.050
Municipality Millage Rates*
  • Alpharetta
  • 4.951
  • Atlanta
  • 10.400
  • Chattahoochee Hills
  • 9.000
  • College Park
  • 12.619
  • East Point
  • 13.000
  • Fairburn
  • 9.560
  • Hapeville
  • 15.209
  • Johns Creek
  • 3.896
  • Milton
  • 4.753
  • Mountain Park
  • 6.255
  • Palmetto
  • 8.500
  • Roswell
  • 4.049
  • Sandy Springs
  • 4.731
  • South Fulton
  • 12.399
  • Union City
  • 11.114

*Millage rates are subject to change. Please contact the Fulton County Tax Commissioner or the individual municipality to confirm the current millage rate.

Fulton County has a combined sales tax of 7.75 percent outside of Atlanta, 8.9 percent inside Atlanta. Georgia state sales and use tax rate is 4 percent. Fulton County collects an additional 3.75 percent, which is consistent with other metro Atlanta counties. The county collection includes special purpose local option sales taxes for education (ESPLOST), transportation and funding for MARTA service and expansion.

Georgia’s corporate income tax rate of 5.39 percent applies only to the portion of income earned in Georgia. Currently, Georgia is transitioning to a sales-only corporate income tax rate. Georgia will be the first state in the Southeastern United States to make this change.

https://dor.georgia.gov/taxes/business-taxes/corporate-income-and-net-worth-tax

Corporations may also have to pay a net worth tax. This tax is based on the net worth of a corporation, levied in exchange for the privilege of doing business or exercising a corporate franchise in Georgia.