Kemp approves legislation bringing tax refund to Georgians

ATLANTA (WRDW/WAGT) - Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday signed House Bill 1302 providing a tax refund to all eligible Georgia taxpayers.

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The measure provide for a one-time tax credit for taxpayers who filed income tax returns for both the 2020 and 2021 taxable years. Once a qualified taxpayer files an individual income tax return for tax year 2021, the Georgia Department of Revenue will automatically credit the taxpayer with a one-time refund amount:

Single, married filing separately - $250
Head of household - $375
Married filing tly - $500

Taxpayers who have already filed their taxes for tax year 2021 will not need to adjust their tax returns. Those eligible taxpayers will receive their refund in the manner they indicated on their tax return (paper check or direct deposit). The Georgia Department of Revenue has more information on its website.

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“When government takes in more than it needs, I believe those dollars should be returned to the taxpayer, because that is your money — not the government’s,” Kemp said.

Currently, the state is awash in revenue, leaving lawmakers with plenty of money in the budget.

The Republican Kemp says the state is giving back money that “quite honestly, we didn’t need this year.”