Things You'll Need:
- W-2 statement of earnings
- Calculator
- Tax preparation professional (recommended)
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Step 1
Add up any income you made through investments you've sold for a profit, money you've inherited, grants you've received and any other money that qualifies as personal income.
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Step 2
Check the W-2 statement your employer sends to you as tax time nears. It will tell you exactly how much money you made at your job last year and will also total up any taxes that were automatically taken off your checks.
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Step 3
Calculate your taxable income by finding the total value of the tax deductions for which you qualify. Subtract that figure from your total income.
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Step 1
Discover the six tax brackets used in Georgia. Remember that incomes of approximately $750 or less qualify for the lowest bracket--1 percent.
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Step 2
Pay 2 percent in state income tax if you made between $750 and $2,300.
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Step 3
Apply the 3-percent rate to taxable incomes falling within the $2,000 to $4,000 range.
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Step 4
Use the 4-percent income tax rate to calculate what you owe on incomes of approximately $3,800 to $5,000.
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Step 5
Pay 5 percent on incomes between $5,000 and $7,000.
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Step 6
Apply the highest rate, 6 percent, to everything over approximately $7,000 in taxable income.
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Step 1
Use the decimal version of the percentage rate you're paying to multiply your income. One percent expressed as a decimal is 0.01, and 2 percent is 0.02.
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Step 2
Crunch the numbers. Most people in Georgia pay the 6-percent rate. On an annual income of $30,000, an individual would be looking at $1,800 in taxes.
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Step 3
Avoid expensive and needless penalties by filing your tax return on or before April 15.
