Georgia gas prices on the rise as state resumes collecting its gas tax

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The gas tax suspension that’s been keeping Georgia’s prices low has officially come to an end.

Back in March of last year, the General Assembly passed legislation to suspend the tax that the state of Georgia collects on each gallon of gasoline. Gov. Brian Kemp kept extending that suspension month after month, doing it one last time in December to help families offset the cost of holiday spending.

But as of 12 a.m. Wednesday, the state resumed collecting its tax, which will cause prices at the pump to jump by roughly 30 cents a gallon. The timing of the price change depends on when each gas station runs out of the untaxed gasoline currently in its tanks.

While he isn’t likely to change his daily routine, Glenn Trippe of Riverdale says paying less for gas helped him get by.

“They go up a lot., but they come down a little,” he said. You gotta have it.”

In Georgia, the distributors pay the state tax - not your local gas station owner. That’s why prices might vary over the next few days, depending on when new gasoline arrives at each location.

Mariah Rivera of Fairburn is a delivery driver spending $130-dollars a week in gas. While she’s thankful summer prices of more than $4-dollars a gallon are a thing of the past - any increase, has her worrying about making ends up meet.

“Normally, I would cut down on buying food on the road because I’m like OK I have to budget now,” she said.

The governor says right now, state leaders are working on other ways to help Georgians fight inflation. He’s hoping state lawmakers will agree to send $2 billion of surplus revenue back to taxpayers this year.

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