Thousands of Georgians are receiving a pleasant surprise in their mailboxes this summer: state tax refund checks. It’s the third time in four years that the state has returned money to its citizens thanks to a healthy budget.
But this could be just the beginning. While these checks are arriving in homes, state leaders are debating a much bigger change: eliminating Georgia’s income tax altogether. These two financial news stories are generating a lot of buzz in communities from Dalton to Savannah.
Tax refunds that could brighten millions of Georgia homes very soon
What does this extra money mean for your family? And could Georgia really stop taxing your paychecks in the coming years? In this article, we explain these two important issues in simple terms. We’ll tell you who’s getting money now, how much you can expect, and when it will arrive.
Then, we’ll explore the bold idea of eliminating the state income tax: how it would work, what advantages it would have, and what challenges it presents for services we all use, like schools and roads.
Governor Brian Kemp announced that the state began sending these “special refunds” in early June, and that they could be extended for a couple more months, depending on the postal system’s capacity to deliver these payments.
The reason is that the state raised more money than it needed to cover its expenses. This is the third time something like this has happened since 2022, thanks to a strong state economy. The law allowing these payments (House Bill 112) was passed by Georgia lawmakers earlier this year, authorizing the return of up to $1 billion to taxpayers.
Who qualifies for the extraordinary tax refund in Georgia?
If you filed your state tax return for both 2023 and 2024, and you also paid state taxes in 2023 and don’t owe the state any money (such as back taxes or child support), you’ll likely receive a check. The amount depends on your family situation, according to the following list:
- $250: For single individuals or married individuals filing separate returns.
- $375: For heads of household (such as a single parent with dependent children).
- $500: For married couples filing jointly.
Important: You’ll only receive this full amount if you already paid at least that amount in state taxes during 2023. If you paid less, you’ll receive a smaller amount. This money doesn’t earn interest and is tax-free, but the state may withhold it if you owe them money.
The Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) worked hard to send most of these checks by July 1, especially to people who filed their 2023 and 2024 taxes by May 1. By the end of June, they had already sent more than $488 million.
The goal is to have all of these initial refunds delivered by mid-August, so yours could also arrive this month, if it hasn’t already.
However, if you requested an extension to file your taxes and your deadline was extended to October 15, your refund could take a little longer, likely 6 to 8 weeks after the state processes your return.
If you don’t know where your tax refund is, you don’t have to call: The DOR has a very useful online tool called the Surplus Tax Refund Checker. Just visit their official website, enter your Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), and your 2023 Adjusted Federal Taxable Income (ADFI) (which you’ll find on your federal tax return for that year). The tool will tell you the status of your payment.
Goodbye to income tax in Georgia: It could happen very soon
The check-cutting is big news today, but an even bigger discussion is taking shape under the State Capitol’s Gold Dome: Should Georgia completely eliminate its personal income tax? In July 2025, state leaders formally launched an initiative to study this possibility.
If successful, Georgia would become the first state in the Southeast to take this step, following the example of states like Florida, Texas, and Tennessee, which no longer charge this tax to their residents. This move could completely redefine how Georgia pays for its public services.
Reaching zero income tax wouldn’t happen overnight, but rather a step-by-step process that has already begun. Georgia has been steadily reducing its flat income tax rate:
- 2024: Dropped to 5.49%
- early-2025: Dropped to 5.39% (thanks to an early law).
- mid-2025: Lowered again to 5.19% (due to House Bill 111 passed this year).
In addition, there is an automatic (“trigger”) rule: if state revenues grow more than 3% in a year, the rate would automatically drop to 4.99% in 2028. But the new idea is to go beyond these reductions and eliminate the tax altogether.
