Self-employed taxes and LLC costs in Georgia, 2026
Georgia lowered its flat income tax in the middle of 2026 and backdated the cut, which changes what a self-employed person owes for the whole year.
Total tax on this income in 2026
$20,993
Put aside 25% of each payment · $5,248 per quarter
| Self-employment tax (15.3%) | $12,010 |
| Federal income tax | $5,790 |
| Georgia income tax | $3,193 |
| QBI deduction used | $12,579 |
| Effective rate on all income | 24.7% |
With an S corp election and a $34,000 salary, about $3,679 less tax (check it).
Computed by Radif Partners from IRS and Georgia agency documents read on October 15, 2026 · How we calculate
Georgia taxes individual income at a flat 4.99 % for 2026, a rate set by a law signed on May 11, 2026 and applied back to January 1, together with a standard deduction raised to $15,000 for a single filer and $30,000 for a joint return. On $75,000 of freelance profit, a single filer owes about $2,730 to Georgia and $18,225 in all; at $120,000 the state share is $4,816. An LLC costs $100 to form online and renews each year between January 1 and April 1; the renewal fee could not be confirmed on a current state page. Georgia puts no franchise tax on LLCs. An S corporation owes a net worth tax only once its net worth passes $100,000, and may elect to pay income tax at the entity level. With $120,000 of profit and a $50,000 salary, the S election saves about $5,182 a year here.
Georgia at a glance, 2026
| LLC filing fee | $100 |
| Annual Registration | not verified |
| Income tax | flat 4.99 % |
| S corporation election | followed by the state |
| Tax on $75,000 of profit (single) | $18,225 in all, $2,730 to Georgia |
Georgia changed its 2026 income tax after a third of the year had passed. House Bill 463, signed on May 11, 2026, cut the flat rate from 5.19% to 4.99 % with effect from January 1, and lifted the standard deduction to $15,000 single and $30,000 joint (Office of the Governor, May 11, 2026). The same law schedules further cuts of 0.125 point a year from 2027 toward 3.99%, each one subject to revenue triggers. A freelancer who sized the April and June estimated payments on the old rate paid a little more than the year now requires; the excess is credited when the 2026 return is settled.
S corp or LLC in this state
S corp saves
$5,110
| Salary used (42%) | $50,400 |
| Georgia entity tax | $0 |
The S corporation side in Georgia
Georgia follows the federal S election, and shareholders pay the tax on their share of profit. The company itself still files and may owe the net worth tax that applies to corporations: nothing when net worth is $100,000 or less, rising on a graduated scale to a maximum of $5,000 above $22 million (Georgia DOR, corporate income and net worth tax). An LLC that elects S status for income tax purposes remains an LLC, and the net worth tax is aimed at corporations; a one-person service company rarely gets near the first bracket either way.
Since 2022, an S corporation or partnership may make a yearly, irrevocable election to pay Georgia income tax at the entity level, at the individual rate, now 4.99 % for 2026 (Georgia DOR, HB 149 PTET FAQ). Owners consider it mainly because the entity's payment is not caught by the federal cap on the state and local tax deduction. Payroll then brings Georgia unemployment tax on the owner's salary; its 2026 rate for new employers could not be confirmed, so the LLC vs S corp calculator leaves it out for Georgia.
Forming and renewing a Georgia LLC
Articles of Organization (Form CD 030), filed with Transmittal Form 231, cost $100 online and $110 by mail, with optional expedite fees for two-day or same-day handling (georgia.gov, register an LLC). From the year after formation, the LLC files an annual registration between January 1 and April 1, and can pay two or three years at once (georgia.gov, renew an LLC). The Secretary of State's fee schedule could not be read when these figures were checked, so the yearly amount is left out of the totals on this page. The LLC cost comparison shows Georgia among states that charge no franchise tax.
Quarterly payments
Georgia uses Form 500-ES and the federal calendar of April, June, September and January. The quarterly estimated tax guide has the federal rules for the same dates.