Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation Wednesday providing Georgia taxpayers a $1.1 billion tax refund.

The one-time windfall for taxpayers is the result of unexpectedly strong state tax collections that have left Georgia with a flush budget surplus.

“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. “In Georgia, we are … putting taxpayer dollars back in the pockets of hardworking Georgians.”

The refund is included in the $30.3 billion mid-year budget the governor signed last week. It provides a tax credit to Georgians who filed state income tax returns for the 2020 and 2021 tax years.

Single taxpayers will receive a $250 refund. Married taxpayers filing jointly will get $500.

Taxpayers who have already filed their taxes for tax year 2021 will not need to adjust their returns. They will receive a refund by paper check or direct deposit, depending on which method they indicated on their tax return.

This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.