---
title: O.C.G.A. § 48-8-46. Final return and payment upon sale of or quitting business; withholding of sufficient amount of purchase money by successor; effect of failure to withhold.
collection: code
id: 48-8-46
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 48-8-46 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/48-8-46
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/48-8-46.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/48-8-46/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t48-ch7-8-(v37)-2024-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=1ff964a3_0#page=853
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/48-8.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: REVENUE AND TAXATION / SALES AND USE TAXES / STATE SALES AND USE TAX / IMPOSITION, RATE, COLLECTION, AND ASSESSMENT
---

# O.C.G.A. § 48-8-46. Final return and payment upon sale of or quitting business; withholding of sufficient amount of purchase money by successor; effect of failure to withhold.

If any dealer liable for any tax, interest, or penalty imposed by this article sells out his business or stock of goods or equipment or quits the business, he shall make a final return and payment within 15 days after the date of selling or quitting the business. The dealer’s successor or assigns, if any, shall withhold a sufficient amount of the purchase money to cover the amount of the taxes, interest, and penalties due and unpaid until the former owner produces either a receipt from the commissioner showing that the taxes, interest, and penalties have been paid or a certificate from the commissioner stating that no sales and use taxes, interest, or penalties are due. If the purchaser of a business or stock of goods or equipment fails to withhold the purchase money as required by this Code section, he shall be personally liable for the payment of any sales and use taxes, interest, and penalties accruing and unpaid by any former owner or assignor. The personal liability of the purchaser in such a case shall not exceed the amount of the total purchase money, but the property being transferred shall in all cases be subject to the full amount of the tax lien arising from the delinquencies of the former owner.

## History

Ga. L. 1951, p. 360, § 15; Ga. L. 1960, p. 153, § 6; Code 1933, § 91A-4519, enacted by Ga. L. 1978, p. 309, § 2; Ga. L. 1983, p. 1834, § 11.

## Law Reviews

For article, “Common State Tax Pitfalls in the Acquisition or Disposition of Businesses in Georgia,” see 22 Ga. St. B. J. 82 (1985).