GeorgiaHB 1292025-2026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

Ad valorem tax; bona fide conservation use property; remove a limitation on leased property as to certain entities

Sponsored By: James Burchett (Republican), Chas Cannon (Republican), John Corbett (Republican), Robert Dickey (Republican), Jaclyn Ford (Republican), David Huddleston (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Ways & MeansRulesGeneral Bill

Your PRIA Score

Score Hidden

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to start

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.

Postproduction credits capped at $10 million

For tax years that begin on or after January 1, 2026 and before January 1, 2031, the state caps all postproduction tax credits at $10 million each year. This is a statewide limit across all companies, not per company. If less than the cap is claimed in a year, the unused amount is added to the next year's cap until fully used.

Conservation tax break on leased land

Starting January 1, 2026, leased land can keep the conservation-use tax break. It qualifies if the lessee is registered in Georgia, owned only by natural or naturalized citizens, and mainly farms or grows timber on the land. The lessee must earn at least 80% of its gross income from conservation uses, including related investment earnings. Or the land qualifies if a lessee member owns at least 25% of the property and that member would qualify for the assessment.

New employee reporting for postproduction firms

For tax years that begin on or after January 1, 2026 and before January 1, 2031, postproduction companies must report the monthly average number of full-time employees on their Georgia income tax return. Full-time means at least 35 hours per week and pay at or above the average wage in the lowest-wage county in Georgia. By June 30 each year, the Revenue Commissioner sends each company's name, tax-year start, and that average to two legislative committees, even though some tax records are normally confidential.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Cosponsors

Sam Watson
Republican • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 389 • No: 53

House vote • 4/2/2025

Agree to Senate Substitute

Yes: 149 • No: 13

Senate vote • 4/2/2025

MOTION TO ENGROSS: SB 214, HB 66, HB 79, HB 129, HB 134, HB 141, HB 370, HB 397, HB 445, HB 463, HB 532, HB 586, HB 652

Yes: 31 • No: 24

Senate vote • 4/2/2025

PASSAGE BY SUBSTITUTE

Yes: 44 • No: 9

House vote • 3/4/2025

PASSAGE

Yes: 165 • No: 7

Actions Timeline

House Date Signed by Governor
5/14/2025House
Act 251
5/14/2025
Effective Date
5/14/2025
House Sent to Governor
4/10/2025House
Senate Engrossed
4/2/2025Senate
Senate Third Read
4/2/2025Senate
Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute
4/2/2025Senate
House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub
4/2/2025House
Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
3/31/2025Senate
Senate Recommitted
3/28/2025Senate
Senate Read Second Time
3/27/2025Senate
Senate Committee Favorably Reported
3/25/2025Senate
Senate Read and Referred
3/6/2025Senate
House Third Readers
3/4/2025House
House Passed/Adopted
3/4/2025House
House Committee Favorably Reported
2/26/2025House
House Second Readers
1/29/2025House
House First Readers
1/28/2025House
House Hopper
1/27/2025House

Bill Text

HB 129/AP* (v5)
PDF

Related Bills

Back to State Legislation