Georgia governor suspends motor fuel taxes

For the second time in 18 months, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has suspended the state’s taxes on motor fuels.

The suspension of the taxes, at 31.2 cents per gallon of gasoline and 35 cents per gallon of diesel fuel, began Wednesday and is scheduled to last at least through Oct. 12. Georgia’s government gave up an estimated $1.7 billion in revenue during an earlier suspension over 10 months from March 2022 to January 2023, about $170 million a month.

According to AAA, the average diesel pump price in Georgia on Wednesday stood at $4.36 a gallon. That is up from $4.22 a gallon a month ago. As of Wednesday, the national average for diesel pump prices was $4.51 a gallon.

Motor fuel taxes in Georgia are paid to the state by fuel distributors and not by local gas stations. The gap between when distributors pay for taxed fuel and when the fuel reaches the pump means that fuel prices will rise based on the fill-up point.