Your Georgia surplus tax refund of up to $500 is coming soon, state says

Georgia’s Department of Revenue hasn’t provided an exact date for when to expect the few extra hundos. But the money “should go out soon,” an agency spokesperson confirmed this week.

The department initially estimated that refunds would be issued six to eight weeks after the state’s May 1 tax filing deadline, which was extended this year from April 15 because of Hurricane Helene impacts.

That would mean refunds should start arriving around mid-to-late June for those who filed on time.

Just how much money you’ll get back depends on several factors, including your filing status in tax year 2023 and if you were a full-year, part-year or nonresident filer for 2023 and 2024.

To get the refund, you must have filed timely tax returns for both 2023 and 2024, according to the department.

Single filers or married people filing separately will get a maximum refund of up to $250. Heads of household will receive up to $375, and married couples filing jointly will get up to $500.

There are several factors that might rule you out for a rebate, including if you had no tax amount due in 2023 or were claimed as a dependent that year and did not earn income.

Taxpayers can check their eligibility online at the department’s tax center.

The state’s leaders have made tax cuts and refunds a priority in recent years as reserve funds swelled and Georgia emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported previously. The state finished fiscal year 2024 with about $16.5 billion in reserves.

Kemp touted the special tax rebate in April, when he signed the legislation authorizing it.

“Here in Georgia, we safeguard every dollar of taxpayer money, because we know it belongs to the people, not the government,” he said in a statement.

For more information about the tax refund, visit the revenue department’s website.