Livonia, Mich — On May 11, 2011, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed HB168 into law, which reinstates the sales tax exemption for hearing aids, effective immediately. Attending the ceremonial signing were (standing next to Gov Deal, l to r) Representatives David Knight (R-Griffin) and Ed Rynders (R-Albany), as well as Ralph Jackson and Jeff Fargason, BC-HIS, ACA, of the Georgia Society of Hearing Professionals, and Jerry Usry of Usry Consulting Inc.

In 2010, a comprehensive tax bill, HB1221, had repealed the exemption for hearing aid sales, which made hearing aids fully taxable beginning January 1, 2011. Upon learning of HB1221’s passage, the Georgia Society of Hearing Professionals, representing those professionals engaged in hearing aid dispensing, quickly activated to return the exemption to state law.

“This was an important victory for Georgia consumers and we are extremely pleased with the outcome,” said Ralph Jackson, Board member and past president of the Georgia Society of Hearing Professionals. “As a licensed hearing instrument specialist, I see patients every day who struggle to afford much-needed hearing aids and passage of this bill will help with some of the burden of the cost and bring Georgia in line with the vast majority of other states in terms of hearing aid taxation.”

The Georgia Society of Hearing Professionals is a chapter of the International Hearing Society (IHS), a professional association representing hearing health care providers worldwide. Founded in 1951, IHS has a long history of promoting and maintaining the highest possible standards for its members. For more information on IHS, visit the Web site at www.ihsinfo.org.

SOURCE: International Hearing Society