Residents who have been grocery shopping this month may have noticed their grocery bills were slightly lower. That's because the final one cent sales tax on food was abolished by the state Oct.1.

The removal of the final one cent represents the culmination of a three part phase-in that began in 1996 when the first two cents were eliminated. Last year, the third penny was dropped.

The elimination of state sales tax on food was a key legislative initiative of Gov. Zell Miller that resulted in the elimination of sales tax in food by the 1996 session of the General Assembly.

"Because the rate drop on Oct.1 will represent the last phase in a three-year implementation to abolish the state sales tax on food, the Department of Revenue wants to be certain that all dealers and retailers are aware of this final one cent reduction," said Revenue Commissioner T. Jerry Jackson. "We invite anyone who has questions about this important change in sales tax law to call the Sales and Use Tax Division at 404-656-4060 or their nearest regional revenue office."