Peachtree City Business License: Occupational Tax by Employee Count, $107 Minimum and January 31 Renewal
If your business operates from a physical location inside Peachtree City, you owe the city's occupation tax and need a certificate of payment. Peachtree City issues that certificate in place of a business license. The city calls the tax non-regulatory. The amount depends on your number of full-time employees, not your gross receipts, and home-based businesses pay it too.
This guide covers how the tax is calculated, who issues the certificate, what a new application requires, and when renewals are due.
Georgia has no general state business license
Georgia issues no general statewide business license. The Secretary of State issues none, and registering for sales tax with the Department of Revenue is not a business license. Most businesses handle three separate steps. First, they register the entity with the Secretary of State's Corporations Division. Second, they register with the Department of Revenue through the Georgia Tax Center if they sell taxable goods or have employees. Third, they add the licenses and permits their activity requires.
The local license is the occupation tax certificate, issued under O.C.G.A. Title 48, chapter 13. The city issues it for businesses inside city limits, and the county issues it for unincorporated areas. Georgia has 159 counties and about 537 cities and towns, and each sets its own formula, deadlines and prerequisites. Peachtree City's rules apply only to Peachtree City.
Fayette County vs Peachtree City business license
The issuer depends on where the business premises sit, not on your mailing address. A business inside Peachtree City pays the city, and paying the city means you do not need an additional license from Fayette County.
| Business location | Who issues the local certificate |
|---|---|
| Inside Peachtree City | City of Peachtree City (certificate of payment) |
| Inside Fayetteville | Fayetteville, which licenses its own businesses |
| Inside Tyrone | Tyrone, which licenses its own businesses |
| Unincorporated Fayette County | Fayette County, through its own application |
A home occupation in unincorporated Fayette County needs a conditional use permit from the county. That is a county requirement, not a Peachtree City rule.
How the occupation tax is calculated
The tax is based on the number of full-time employees. It is not based on gross receipts. The city's payment chart sets the amount by employee range. The rows below are selected from that chart. The full chart is longer, so ask City Hall for the complete version before you budget.
| Full-time employees | Amount |
|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | $107 (minimum payment) |
| 5 | $115 |
| 6 | $134 |
| 10 | $210 |
| 20 | $400 |
| 324 or more | $6,176 (maximum) |
The $400 for 20 employees is a chart amount. It is not the $400 professional ceiling discussed later in this guide.
Three details change what you actually pay:
- The $20 administration fee. The city says all businesses, including tax-exempt ones, pay a $20 administration fee. The city's materials do not say whether that $20 is already included in the chart amounts. Ask City Hall before you pay.
- The new business discount. For new businesses registering after July 1, the tax portion is cut by 50% in the first year, as shown in the chart.
- Full-time counting. The chart counts full-time employees. Confirm with City Hall how to count part-time staff before you choose a row.
Who is exempt
The city lists the following categories as exempt. Confirm your category with City Hall before you assume it applies.
- Businesses regulated by the Georgia Public Service Commission
- Certain electrical service businesses
- Bona fide farm operations (agribusiness is not included)
- Cooperative marketing associations
- Insurers governed by O.C.G.A. 33-8-8
- Motor common carriers
- Depository financial institutions
- Certain charitable trust facilities
- City recreation program participants
Exempt businesses still pay the $20 administration fee.
Peachtree City business license renewal dates
Peachtree City's renewal cycle works like this:
- Renewal notices are mailed in November.
- Payment is due by December 31.
- January 31 is the last day before penalties apply, according to the city.
The city's materials do not state the penalty amount, so confirm it with City Hall. Do not apply these dates to any other Georgia city or county. Each sets its own schedule, and the state annual registration with the Secretary of State runs on a separate window.
Applying for a new occupation tax certificate
Prepare the following before you apply:
- Application packet. Complete the new business application packet.
- Zoning approval. Get zoning approval from the Zoning Department before you apply.
- Fire inspection. Pass a fire inspection first if your business is not home-based, and if it is a day care.
- E911 emergency contact form. Submit this form. It is not required for home-based businesses.
- SAVE and E-Verify affidavits. Sign notarized affidavits and present photo ID. Every applicant signs the SAVE affidavit under O.C.G.A. 50-36-1. A private employer with more than 10 employees also files the E-Verify affidavit under O.C.G.A. 36-60-6.
Some businesses need more than the certificate:
- A massage establishment needs an additional regulatory fee certificate.
- An alcohol seller needs a city alcohol license as well as the state license.
Home-based businesses
Home-based businesses pay the same employee-based tax. They skip the fire inspection and the E911 form, but the other requirements still apply, including zoning approval. Georgia no longer requires a state license for cottage food sold under HB 398 as of July 1, 2025. Local business licensing and zoning still apply to these operations.
The $400 professional ceiling is not a flat fee
Section 48-13-9(c) does not set a flat $400 per professional. Under 48-13-10(g), a locality may elect a $400 ceiling, and the ceiling applies only to professions listed in 48-13-9(c), such as lawyers, physicians, dentists, veterinarians, engineers, architects and public accountants. Cosmetologists are not on that list. Whether the election replaces the administrative fee differs by place, so ask City Hall how it applies to your profession.
State filings still apply
A Peachtree City certificate does not replace state registrations. The main filings are:
- Entity formation. Articles of Organization for an LLC and Articles of Incorporation for a corporation each cost $110 in total, online or on paper, through the eCorp portal.
- Tax registration. Register with the Georgia Tax Center if you sell taxable goods or have employees. Check the Georgia business taxes guide on this site for sales tax rates and the Georgia Department of Revenue site for current rules.
- Trade names. If you operate under a name other than your legal name, file a trade name registration with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the business is chiefly carried on. Trade names are not filed with the Secretary of State.
- Annual registration. Read the Georgia annual registration guide on this site for the state filing requirement and its timing.
Questions to ask City Hall
Call Peachtree City City Hall at 770-487-7657 and confirm these points:
- Whether the $20 administration fee is included in the chart amount
- The full employee chart for your headcount
- The penalty amount that applies after January 31
- Whether your business category qualifies for an exemption
- How the $400 ceiling applies if your profession is on the 48-13-9(c) list
This article is informational only and is not legal or tax advice. Fees, dates and rules can change, and the city, county and state agencies named here set the current requirements. For complex situations, such as multiple locations, professional licensing or choosing an entity structure, consult a qualified attorney or CPA.