KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Georgia ranks #6 of all 50 US states for average federal tax refund in the 2024 filing year at $3,168.63 per filer.

• 3,566,880 Georgians received a refund, totaling $11.30 billion returned to Peach State households, 3.19% of every refund dollar paid nationally and the 8th-largest total in the country.

• 73.0% of Georgia filers got money back, just 0.2 percentage points below the 73.2% national refund rate.

Federal tax refunds have become one of the most expected financial events of the year for Georgia households, and a new analysis clarifies that only five states in the country send bigger checks home on average. While 34 US states came in below the national refund benchmark, Georgia sits at the #6 spot in the ranking, the top-placing state east of the Mississippi outside of Florida.

According to an analysis by Ladah Injury & Car Accident Lawyers Las Vegas, individual tax refund figures for the 2024 filing year were pulled from IRS Statistics of Income Tables 3, 7, and 8, which report returns filed, refunds issued, and total refund dollars paid by state. Each state's total refund dollars were normalized to an average refund per refund issued, and the 50 US states were ranked from the highest to the lowest average refund relative to a national benchmark of $3,042.69 per refund.

The 10 States With the Biggest Average Tax Refunds, 2024 Filing Year

Looking at the study, Ramzy Ladah, Founder & CEO of Ladah Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, Las Vegas, commented on the Georgia result.

“Georgia placing sixth highlights how federal withholding plays out across a large Southeastern filer base. Behind every one of those 3.57 million Georgia refund checks is a family that effectively gave Washington an interest-free loan. Georgia's average refund beats 44 other US states, and the $11.3 billion returned statewide makes it a top 10 state by absolute refund dollars. For many Peach State households, this refund is the single biggest payment they'll see all year, and it deserves a plan.”

Georgia vs. Its Five Neighboring States, 2024 Filing Year

Georgia vs. Other Top Southern States, 2024 Filing Year

Georgia's Share of America's $354.39 Billion in Federal Refunds

Methodology

The analysis draws on IRS Statistics of Income data for the 2024 filing year, specifically Table 3 (number of individual income tax returns filed by state), Table 7 (number of individual refunds issued by state), and Table 8 (dollar amount of individual refunds issued by state, in thousands). The universe covers all 50 US states. Each state's refund dollars were normalized to an average refund per refund issued so states of different sizes could be compared directly, alongside a refund rate (refunds issued divided by returns filed) and total refund dollars paid. States were then ranked from the highest to the lowest average refund, with Rank 1 indicating the state with the biggest checks and Rank 50 the smallest. A national benchmark of $3,042.69 per refund serves as the comparison point throughout, and findings describe the 50 US states only, excluding the District of Columbia and US territories.