Georgia Tax Refund 2026 eligibility: How to check if you are getting $250–$500 surplus refund

Georgia is sending tax refunds to residents, with eligible people getting up to $500 back.

Georgia taxpayers are about to get some money back. Governor Brian Kemp has signed off on a one-time tax refund worth more than $1.2 billion and the state has already started sending payments out. It is the fourth time Georgia has done this under Kemp, after similar refunds in 2022, 2023 and 2025 which all funded by the state's budget surplus.

Georgia begins sending surplus tax refunds as eligible residents await payments. (Unsplash/representative )

"Georgians know best how to spend their money, not the government," Kemp said, per WABE. “That's why we're committed to being good stewards of those dollars and putting more of them where they belong, in Georgians' pockets at a time when other states are having to raise taxes.”

Who qualifies and how much will you get?

The amount you receive depends on how you filed your taxes:

• Up to $250 for single filers
• Up to $375 for heads of household
• Up to $500 for married couples filing jointly

However, no one can receive more than the income tax they actually paid during the 2024 tax year, which means some lower income taxpayers may receive less than the maximum amounts listed above.

To be eligible you must have filed your 2024 return by the April 15 deadline, have had a tax liability for that year and be a Georgia resident, part-year resident or nonresident. If you owe the state for delinquent taxes or child support then your refund may be used to cover those debts instead.

How to receive your refund and check your status?

How you receive your refund depends on how you filed your original tax return.

If you filed electronically your refund will go directly to the bank account you used. If you filed by mail you will receive a paper check sent to your address.

To check your eligibility visit the surplus tax refund checker on the Georgia Department of Revenue's website at dor.georgia.gov.

To check the status of your refund you will need your Social Security number or individual taxpayer ID number and your federal adjusted gross income from your state tax return which can be found on line 16 of Form 500 or line 4 of Form 500EZ.

"Our team is ready to deliver these refunds efficiently and securely to Georgia taxpayers," Department of Revenue Commissioner David Burge said, per WABE. "We've built a process that prioritizes accuracy and speed so eligible filers can receive their money as quickly as possible."

Most eligible taxpayers can expect to see the money in the coming weeks depending on when they filed their return.