Refund tax program is returning up to $500 per taxpayer, are you one of these? In Georgia, U.S., Brian Kemp (governor) and the Department of Revenue have started implementing a tax refund approved by House Bill 112.
The aim of this measure is to return up to $500 to each person that has contributed to every taxpayer. According to Joe Snowden, spokesperson of the Department of Revenue, the payments will be sent in different batches and people will identify them on their bank accounts as GASTTAXRFD.
We’ve heard before about tax refunds, because what the government has been trying to do with these measures is to ease the fiscal burden of American citizens and give them back part of their efforts. So, let’s see how you can know whether you are eligible for this tax refund!
Georgia refunds
The refund tax program we will be talking about was approved by the governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, and the Department of Revenue (DOR). What’s this program about? Taxpayers will receive payments coming from budget surplus from the state that reaches around $11 billion. So, $1.2 billion will be used to refund citizens who match certain requirements.
This program was approved by House Bill 112 and it continues similar measures from 2022 and 2023. However, payments that will be sent from June to August of 2025, were authorized in 2024.
Are you eligible for this refund?
We have to know whether we have the right to apply for these types of economically aids from the government, so let’s see what the requirements for this refund are:
- Have filed 2023 and 2024 state returns before the deadline or have a valid extension.
- Not to have any debts with the Department of Revenue. In case you have, the refund could be used to pay your debts.
- Not being dependent on the 2023 return.
How much money could you receive?
You should know the amount varies depending on the marital status and the way you applied for the tax refund. These are the different categories and their amounts:
- $250 for single or married people who filed the tax return separately.
- $375 for those paytaxers who have identified themselves as head of household.
- $500 for married couples who filed the tax return together.
- For those who didn’t live permanently or the entire year in Georgia, their payments will be proportionally adjusted, therefore, they will be lower.
The way payments are sent
You should pay attention because these refunds will be sent in two different ways: by direct deposit or a paper check.
In the case of the direct deposit, the payment will be sent to the bank account used in the last tax return, and you will find it under the concept of ‘’GASTTAXRFD’’. So, don’t worry if you see these many letters, these mean great news!
On the other hand, there’s the option of paper checks that will be sent by mail if you decided it this way on the tax return.
Delays
Of course, this measure has been great news for taxpayers, but half of them are very frustrated because they haven’t received their payments yet. According to DOR, payments are still being processed in batches to avoid technical issues and mistakes.
The Georgia governor also responded to criticism by saying more than $488 million have been already sent and that they are going at a similar rhythm as previous years. To make sure citizens kept calm about their payments, he stated that ‘’taxpayer money ultimately belongs to hardworking Georgians, not the government’’.
Basically, when it comes to paperwork and receiving money, the best thing to do is be calm because, unfortunately, these processes take time. So, if you are one of the eligible people to receive this payment, now you know it could be delayed, but it will be yours.
