Georgia Surplus Refunds: 1st Round Of Up To $500 Payments Issued

GEORGIA — The first round of income tax surplus refunds of up to $500 have been issued, Gov. Brian Kemp's office said Monday in a news release.

Kemp announced in mid-March that he was sending out a $1 billion state income tax refund to Georgia taxpayers who filed 2021 and 2022 returns. The refunds are possible though a revenue surplus and House Bill 162, which Kemp signed into law on March 14, according to his office.

Similar to last year, single tax filers and married individuals who file separately could receive a maximum refund of $250, head of household filers could receive a maximum refund of $375 and married individuals who file joint returns could receive a maximum refund of $500, based on a person's or couple’s tax liability.

Taxpayers claimed as a dependent who had a 2021 tax liability will be eligible for the refund, Kemp's office said Monday.

The Department of Revenue intends to issue all refunds within the next eight weeks.

Taxpayers must have filed their returns either by the April 18 deadline or by their valid extension date to receive the surplus tax refunds, Austin Gibbons, the department's director of external affairs and communications, told Patch in mid-April.

"HB 162 refunds will not be issued until 2022 tax returns have been processed. Individuals who received a filing extension will not receive their refunds until their returns have been filed," Kemp's office said Monday.

Gibbons told Patch filing an extension will delay when a person will receive his or her surplus refund, including those who have filed extensions for storm relief.

If taxpayers chose to receive their regular state refund via direct deposit, they will receive their surplus refunds the same way. Those who did not elect to use direct deposit for their regular refunds will receive paper checks.

An information page regarding the refunds is live on the Revenue Department's website. Taxpayers can check the status of their surplus refunds here.