Gov. Kemp Signs Legislation Delivering More than $1 Billion in Tax Cuts and Relief to Hardworking Georgians

Atlanta, GA – Governor Brian P. Kemp signed legislation this week delivering more than $1 billion in significant tax relief to hardworking Georgians through an acceleration of the largest tax cut in state history and the third, one-time surplus tax refund.

"Here in Georgia, we safeguard every dollar of taxpayer money, because we know it belongs to the people, not the government," said Governor Brian Kemp. "While other states are running up budget deficits and raising taxes on their citizens, we're investing in the priorities of our state while further cutting taxes and returning more than a billion dollars to hardworking Georgians! That's on top of the tax relief we've given in prior years and is a direct result of our conservative budgeting. “As families fight through the impacts of high prices over the last several years, I want to thank our partners in the legislature for helping to make this possible and for supporting their fellow Georgians in this way."

Governor Kemp signed the following two bills this week, HB 111 and HB 112. 

HB 111 accelerates the largest state income tax cut in Georgia history initiated by the signing of HB 1437 in 2022. Taxpayers will see the reduced rate reflected in their withholding beginning in July. 

With the governor's signature, HB 111 doubles down on the efforts of prior years to reduce the tax burden on Georgians and job creators. With this second acceleration cutting the state income tax rate by another 20 basis points, the total income tax rate will now be down to just 5.19 percent - a decrease of 56 basis points from the original rate of 5.75 percent. This expedited cut will save Georgians another 880 million dollars on their tax returns next year.

HB 112 authorizes the delivery of $1 billion in one-time surplus tax refunds of up to $500 per Georgia tax-payer household.

The Department of Revenue (DOR) will begin issuing the surplus income tax refunds in late May/early June. Taxpayers must file their 2023 and 2024 taxes prior to receiving the refund. As in previous years, single tax filers and married individuals who file separately could receive a maximum refund of $250, head of household filers could receive a maximum refund of $375, and married individuals who file joint returns could receive a maximum refund of $500, based on an individual or couple’s tax liability. DOR will issue the overwhelming majority of special income tax refunds by July 1 of this year, for those who file on or before May 1.

Frequently asked questions for this year's tax refund can be found on the DOR website. Georgia taxpayers will also have the ability to check the status of this special tax refund via an additional tool on the DOR website, expected to launch in the coming weeks.