Moving from Georgia to Florida: the tax picture
Quick answer: Georgia is at a 5.19 percent flat rate and stepping down gradually. Florida: zero. You file one final part-year GA return for the move year, build your Florida domicile file properly, and the savings start with your first fully Florida year.
Your last Georgia return
Form 500 with Schedule 3 allocates your part-year income.
The rule that catches movers
Retirees: Georgia already excludes a large slice of retirement income at 65 and older, so run the math before assuming a big win. Working income is where Florida pulls ahead.
The audit reality
Georgia has no reputation for aggressive residency audits, which makes clean paperwork the whole game.
The domicile checklist
Florida driver license and vehicle registration, voter registration, homestead filing if you buy, new doctors and dentists, updated estate documents, and a calendar that proves where you actually slept. Your old state looks at the whole picture, so build it from day one.
The bigger picture
Georgia-to-Florida moves are steady, driven as much by lifestyle as by tax.
How we handle move years
Part-year and multi-state returns are a specialty here, not an upcharge surprise. One written quote covers the final GA return, the domicile file, and your first Florida-resident year plan.
Educational overview using state revenue department and IRS migration data, reviewed June 2026. Rates and rules shift; your move year gets reviewed by a real preparer.
Do I file a Georgia return for the year I move?
Yes, one last part-year return. Form 500 with Schedule 3 allocates your part-year income. Income before the move date belongs to Georgia; income after belongs to Florida, which has no income tax return at all.
Will Georgia audit my move?
Georgia has no reputation for aggressive residency audits, which makes clean paperwork the whole game. The defense is boring paperwork done early, and we set it up as part of your move-year return.
What does Florida tax instead?
No state income tax, no state tax on retirement income, and no estate tax. Florida raises revenue through sales and property taxes, so the homestead exemption filing matters.