ATLANTA — Earlier this year, Gov. Brian Kemp proposed another round of $250-$500 state surplus tax refund checks that passed the Georgia Senate Tuesday.
According to a release from the Governor's Office, that legislation was swiftly signed into law.
"Thank you to those in the General Assembly who supported this measure to help Georgia families fighting through 40-year high inflation," a statement by Gov. Kemp said.
The roughly $1 billion income tax refund proposal comes out of the state's budget surplus; with the money for the refund payments going to Georgia residents who paid state income taxes for at least the last two years.
The new round of payments will come in three varying amounts, depending on how your household files taxes:
- $500 for married couples filing jointly
- $375 for single filers with dependents
- $250 for single filers
The payments are very similar in structure to payments sent out last year — in February.
The Georgia Department of Revenue has provided 11Alive with a timetable on when you can expect to get your check after Gov. Kemp signed the bill into law.
When will I get a Georgia surplus tax refund check?
The state Department of Revenue told 11Alive this week that the rebate checks would be issued "6-8 weeks from the Governor's signature."
With Gov. Kemp signing the law on Tuesday, March 14, that means roughly the end of April at the soonest based on the Department of Revenue's timeline.
That would roughly mean people should start seeing the payments from about April 25 (six weeks from March 14) to May 9 (eight weeks).
GDOR also explained that not all refunds can be issued at once. Many payments may lag behind the initial 6-8 week window. The Department will have the overwhelming majority of checks out the door by July 2023, it said.
Another thing to remember is that this is a one-time payment from the state of Georgia - it is not the same as your overall income tax return refund. When that comes will still be a matter of the federal government sending out refunds, same as every year.