diff --git a/.bash.d/git.sh b/.bash.d/git.sh
index 8a215a5c..7452d5e6 100644
--- a/.bash.d/git.sh
+++ b/.bash.d/git.sh
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ alias br=branch
 alias fetch='git fetch'
 alias stash="git stash"
 alias tag="githg tag"
+alias tags='git tag'
+alias tagr='git_tag_release.sh'
 alias gitlogwc='git log --oneline | wc -l'
 alias um=updatemodules
 #type browse &>/dev/null || alias browse=gbrowse
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4f110b08..20e501f1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -649,6 +649,7 @@ etc.
   - `git_log_empty_commits.sh` - find empty commits in git history (eg. if a `git filter-branch` was run but `--prune-empty` was forgotten, leaking metadata like subjects containing file names or other sensitive info)
   - `git_files_in_history.sh` - finds all filename / file paths in the git log history, useful for prepping for `git filter-branch`
   - `git_filter_branch_fix_author.sh` - rewrites Git history to replace author/committer name & email references (useful to replace default account commits). Powerful, read `--help` and `man git-filter-branch` carefully. Should only be used by Git Experts.
+  - `git_tag_release.sh` - creates a Git tag, auto-incrementing a `.N` suffix on the year/month/day date format if no exact version given
   - `git_submodules_update_repos.sh` - updates submodules (pulls and commits latest upstream github repo submodules) - used to cascade submodule updates throughout all my repos
 - `github_*.sh` - [GitHub](https://github.com/) API / CLI scripts:
   - `github_api.sh` - queries the GitHub [API](https://docs.github.com/en/rest/reference). Can infer GitHub user, repo and authentication token from local checkout or environment (`$GITHUB_USER`, `$GITHUB_TOKEN`)
diff --git a/git_tag_release.sh b/git_tag_release.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..3b44ff1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/git_tag_release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#  vim:ts=4:sts=4:sw=4:et
+#
+#  Author: Hari Sekhon
+#  Date: 2022-07-12 14:18:52 +0100 (Tue, 12 Jul 2022)
+#
+#  https://github.com/HariSekhon/DevOps-Bash-tools
+#
+#  License: see accompanying Hari Sekhon LICENSE file
+#
+#  If you're using my code you're welcome to connect with me on LinkedIn and optionally send me feedback to help steer this or other code I publish
+#
+#  https://www.linkedin.com/in/HariSekhon
+#
+
+set -euo pipefail
+[ -n "${DEBUG:-}" ] && set -x
+srcdir="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+
+# shellcheck disable=SC1090
+. "$srcdir/lib/github.sh"
+
+# shellcheck disable=SC2034,SC2154
+usage_description="
+Creates a Git Tag for the current repo checkout, auto-incrementing the default vYYYY.NN release if one isn't given
+
+The first argument is an optional version, which is recommended to set to vN.N.N eg. v1.0.0 as per semantic versioning standards
+
+If the first argument is 'day' or 'date', will determine the next available release in the format vYYYYMMDD.NN where NN is incremented from 1
+If the first argument is 'month', will determine the next available release in the format vYYYYMM.NN
+If the first argument is 'year', will determine the next available release in the format vYYYY.NN
+
+If no argument is given, defaults to generating a 'year' version in the format vYYYY.NN
+
+These formats don't have dashes in them like ISO dates so that if you move from YYYY to YYYYMM format or YYYYMMDD format, software will recognize the newer format as the highest version number ie. the latest version
+
+
+Requires the Git command to be installed
+
+Don't forget to 'git push --tags' to send the tag upstream
+"
+
+# used by usage() in lib/utils.sh
+# shellcheck disable=SC2034
+usage_args="[<version> <commit>]"
+
+help_usage "$@"
+
+#min_args 1 "$@"
+
+version="${1:-year}"
+commit="${2:-HEAD}"
+shift || :
+shift || :
+
+generate_version=0
+prefix='v'
+if [ -n "${NO_GIT_RELEASE_PREFIX:-}" ]; then
+    prefix=''
+fi
+
+if [ "$version" = year ]; then
+    version="${prefix}$(date '+%Y')"
+    generate_version=1
+elif [ "$version" = month ]; then
+    version="${prefix}$(date '+%Y%m')"
+    generate_version=1
+elif [ "$version" = day ] || [ "$version" = date ]; then
+    version="${prefix}$(date '+%Y%m%d')"
+    generate_version=1
+fi
+
+if [ "$generate_version" = 1 ]; then
+    existing_tags="$(git tags)"
+
+    number="$(grep -Eo "^$version"'\.\d+' <<< "$existing_tags" | head -n 1 | sed "s/^$version\\.//" || echo 1)"
+
+    # increment the number
+    while grep -Fxq "$version.$number" <<< "$existing_tags"; do
+        ((number+=1))
+        if [ $number -gt 9999 ]; then
+            die "FAILED to find unused tag version in format '$version.NN'"
+        fi
+    done
+
+    version+=".$number"
+fi
+
+timestamp "Generating tag '$version' on commit '$commit'"
+git tag "$version" "$commit"
+timestamp "Generated release tag '$version'"
diff --git a/github_release.sh b/github_release.sh
index f72f8198..60e24772 100755
--- a/github_release.sh
+++ b/github_release.sh
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ srcdir="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
 
 # shellcheck disable=SC2034,SC2154
 usage_description="
-Creates a GitHub Release and Git Tag, auto-incrementing the default vYYYY.NN release if one isn't given
+Creates a GitHub Release and Git Tag for the current repo checkout, auto-incrementing the default vYYYY.NN release if one isn't given
 
 Determines the GitHub repository to create a release in from the local checkout from which it is executed,
 unless \$GITHUB_OWNER_REPO is set in the environment or '-R <owner>/<repo>' are given as the final args
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@ The first argument is the version, which is recommended to set to vN.N.N eg. v1.
 
 If the first argument is 'day' or 'date', will determine the next available release in the format vYYYYMMDD.NN where NN is incremented from 1
 If the first argument is 'month', will determine the next available release in the format vYYYYMM.NN
-If the first argument is 'year', will determine the next available release in the format vYYYY.NN (the default if no version is specified)
+If the first argument is 'year', will determine the next available release in the format vYYYY.NN
+
+If no argument is given, defaults to generating a 'year' version in the format vYYYY.NN
 
 These formats don't have dashes in them like ISO dates so that if you move from YYYY to YYYYMM format or YYYYMMDD format, GitHub will recognize the newer format as the Latest release
 
@@ -75,7 +77,7 @@ if [ "$version" = year ]; then
 elif [ "$version" = month ]; then
     version="${prefix}$(date '+%Y%m')"
     generate_version=1
-elif [ "$version" = day ] [ "$version" = date ]; then
+elif [ "$version" = day ] || [ "$version" = date ]; then
     version="${prefix}$(date '+%Y%m%d')"
     generate_version=1
 fi