Georgia Taxation of Public Utilities

Public Utilities
The chief executive officer of each public utility is required to make an annual return to the Revenue Commissioner on or before March 1 for the current January 1 preceding on all property located in this State. The assessment of all properties owned by public utility companies and airline companies are proposed by the State Board of Equalization and then assessed by each county's board of tax assessors.
The assessment of railroad equipment companies are determined by the State Board of Equalization. The taxes are collected by the Revenue Commissioner and distributed to various counties.
Commissioner Report to the County Board of Tax Assessors
At least once a year the Revenue Commissioner makes a report to the county board of tax assessors in each county of the public utility property located in each county. This report is a distribution as determined by the Revenue Commissioner based upon:
• The location of the various classes of property;
• The gross or net investment in the property;
• Any other factor reflecting the public utility's investment in property;
• Significant business factors that reflect how the property is used;
• Pertinent mileage factors; and
• Any other factors which in the Revenue Commissioner's judgment are reasonably calculated to distribute fairly and equitably the property between the various tax jurisdictions.
Railroad Equipment Car Companies
Each railroad equipment car company whose railroad equipment cars travel in this State is required to make a property tax return of the value of all cars of the company to the Revenue Commissioner on or before March 1 in each year for the activity in the State during the preceding calendar year. The tax collected by the State is based on the proportion of the value of the cars that the car-wheel miles traveled in the State bear to the total car-wheel miles traveled everywhere and a weighted average of the effective tax rates in all jurisdictions within the State having miles of railroad track.
Airlines
Each airline company doing business in this State is required to make an annual property tax return of the value of each type and model of flight equipment to the Revenue Commissioner on or before March 1 in each year for the preceding calendar year. The distribution to each tax jurisdiction is based as closely as possible upon plane hours.
O.C.G.A. 48-5-510. - 48-5-546.