Americans paid in 2019 more than $3.5 trillion in taxes. Nearly half of all tax returns filed by individuals, corporations, and estates received a refund.
Altogether, the Internal Revenue Service issued nearly 122 million refunds totaling $452.1 billion, or $3,709 per refund. There are a number of variables that affect the amount that is refunded, one of which is location. The average refund can vary by state from under $2,500 to more than $8,700.
For the fiscal year 2019, the average tax refund for Georgia was $3,162. This ranks as the 16th highest among all 50 states and is lower than the average refund amount of $3,709 nationwide. This figure includes not just personal income tax returns, but also corporate taxes, estate taxes, and more.
Nationwide, the IRS collected $10,860 per person in 2019, but in Georgia, IRS collections per capita were lower, at $8,882. Nationwide, 48.2% of tax returns filed received a refund. But in Georgia, 49.7% of returns received a refund, which ranked 19th most among all states.
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To determine the average tax refund in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on tax refunds from the IRS. States were ranked based on the average tax refund amount issued in the 2019 fiscal year, which includes refunds for individuals, corporate taxes, estate taxes, and more. This is how each state ranks in average tax refunds.
| Rank | State | Average refund ($) | Median household income ($) | IRS collections per capita ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | 8,766 | 70,176 | 20,615 |
| 2 | New Jersey | 4,502 | 85,751 | 15,791 |
| 3 | Connecticut | 4,018 | 78,833 | 16,014 |
| 4 | Illinois | 3,724 | 69,187 | 12,806 |
| 5 | Texas | 3,684 | 64,034 | 10,082 |
| 6 | Nebraska | 3,652 | 63,229 | 13,209 |
| 7 | Minnesota | 3,571 | 74,593 | 18,200 |
| 8 | New York | 3,495 | 72,108 | 15,678 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | 3,478 | 85,843 | 17,415 |
| 10 | Washington | 3,351 | 78,687 | 13,212 |
| 11 | Louisiana | 3,349 | 51,073 | 8,482 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | 3,327 | 54,449 | 7,363 |
| 13 | Kansas | 3,291 | 62,087 | 9,041 |
| 14 | Florida | 3,234 | 59,227 | 9,779 |
| 15 | Alabama | 3,204 | 51,734 | 5,407 |
| 16 | Georgia | 3,162 | 61,980 | 8,882 |
| 17 | Wyoming | 3,136 | 65,003 | 8,197 |
| 18 | Alaska | 3,122 | 75,463 | 7,375 |
| 19 | Tennessee | 3,111 | 56,071 | 10,216 |
| 20 | California | 3,094 | 80,440 | 11,946 |
| 21 | Mississippi | 3,087 | 45,792 | 3,788 |
| 22 | Arkansas | 3,081 | 48,952 | 10,131 |
| 23 | Nevada | 3,070 | 63,276 | 7,717 |
| 24 | Colorado | 3,067 | 77,127 | 10,412 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | 3,055 | 63,463 | 11,090 |
| 26 | South Dakota | 3,041 | 59,533 | 9,076 |
| 27 | Arizona | 3,000 | 62,055 | 6,559 |
| 28 | Maryland | 2,979 | 86,738 | 12,980 |
| 29 | Michigan | 2,966 | 59,584 | 8,169 |
| 30 | Virginia | 2,940 | 76,456 | 9,791 |
| 31 | Missouri | 2,927 | 57,409 | 10,452 |
| 32 | Iowa | 2,922 | 61,691 | 7,897 |
| 33 | Utah | 2,916 | 75,780 | 7,591 |
| 34 | North Dakota | 2,840 | 64,577 | 8,713 |
| 35 | North Carolina | 2,830 | 57,341 | 8,369 |
| 36 | Ohio | 2,827 | 58,642 | 1,2379 |
| 37 | Indiana | 2,817 | 57,603 | 9,006 |
| 38 | West Virginia | 2,808 | 48,850 | 3,928 |
| 39 | Hawaii | 2,792 | 83,102 | 6,530 |
| 40 | Kentucky | 2,751 | 52,295 | 7,967 |
| 41 | New Mexico | 2,725 | 51,945 | 4,421 |
| 42 | New Hampshire | 2,694 | 77,933 | 8,979 |
| 43 | Idaho | 2,669 | 60,999 | 6,347 |
| 44 | South Carolina | 2,660 | 56,227 | 5,416 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | 2,655 | 64,168 | 9,081 |
| 46 | Rhode Island | 2,605 | 71,169 | 13,523 |
| 47 | Vermont | 2,583 | 63,001 | 7,220 |
| 48 | Oregon | 2,537 | 67,058 | 8,308 |
| 49 | Maine | 2,482 | 58,924 | 6,049 |
| 50 | Montana | 2,459 | 57,153 | 5,948 |
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