Last year, the Georgia Agriculture Tax Exemption Program went into effect and allowed farmers to be exempt from sales tax on qualified purchases.
To qualify for the program, farmers have to register to the Georgia Department of Agriculture. In 2013, the department introduced an online system where farmers can register for $20. For registration, farmers must prove residency by providing a paper affidavit of legal residency that is a notarized letter. This document (“affidavit”) can be found by following the link: www.forms.agr.georgia.gov/gate. The affidavit may be completed at the Bibb County Extension office or the local Farm Bureau office. An electronic copy of the affidavit and the farmer’s proof of citizenship must be uploaded to the online system. The registration will take one to two days.
If you are already registered, there are options to renew over the phone (855-FARM-TAX) or by mail, which costs $25.
Qualified farmers will be given a tax exemption certificate, which the farmer can display when buying products to avoid paying sales tax.