The 2024 TABOR refund varies by state and depends on how much tax revenue each state collected

Colorado's TABOR refund for 2024 is the main example most people ask about. Colorado taxpayers received a refund of $750 per person in 2024, though some households received more if they had dependents claimed on their return. The exact amount you received depended on your filing status and the number of dependents you claimed on your 2023 tax return, which determined your 2024 refund.

Other states with TABOR-style laws — including Arizona, Oregon, and a few others — calculated their own refund amounts based on their specific revenue surpluses and state formulas. Each state's refund was different because each state's tax revenue and spending limits work differently. If you lived in a state other than Colorado, your refund amount (if one was issued) followed that state's own TABOR rules, not Colorado's.

The refund was issued automatically to most people who filed a state tax return. You did not have to request it or take any action — the state revenue department calculated and sent it based on the information already on file.

Key Takeaways

  • Colorado's 2024 TABOR refund was $750 per person, with additional amounts for dependents, based on your 2023 tax filing.
  • The refund amount varies significantly by state because each state's TABOR law and revenue surplus are different.
  • The refund was issued automatically by your state's revenue department — you did not have to request it or submit paperwork.
  • If you moved between states or changed your filing status between 2023 and 2024, contact your state revenue department to confirm which state issued your refund.

How Colorado calculated the $750 base amount

Colorado's TABOR law requires the state to refund revenue that exceeds a specific spending limit. That limit is based on the prior year's revenue, adjusted for inflation and population growth. When actual revenue comes in higher than that limit allows, the surplus must go back to taxpayers rather than stay in the state budget.

For the 2024 refund, Colorado's revenue in fiscal year 2023 exceeded the TABOR limit by enough to generate $750 per person. The state revenue department then added extra amounts for dependents — typically $150 per dependent claimed on your 2023 return. A family of four with two dependent children would have received $750 (base) plus $300 (two dependents at $150 each), totaling $1,050.

The state published the exact calculation method on the Colorado Department of Revenue website, though the formula itself is set by state law and does not change year to year — only the dollar amounts change based on how much surplus revenue exists.

Why other states' refunds were different amounts

Arizona, Oregon, and other states with TABOR or similar revenue-limit laws each have their own formulas and their own revenue situations. Arizona's 2024 refund, for example, was structured differently than Colorado's and paid a different dollar amount per person. Oregon's refund (when issued) also followed Oregon's specific law and revenue surplus.

The core reason for the difference is that each state's TABOR law was written separately, with different spending limits, different adjustment methods, and different rules for how refunds are calculated and distributed. A state with lower revenue growth might issue no refund at all in a given year, while a state with higher growth might issue a larger one.

If you lived in multiple states during 2023 or 2024, or if you moved between states, you may have been subject to more than one state's TABOR rules. Contact the revenue department in each state where you filed a return to confirm which refund you should have received.

When the 2024 refund was issued

Colorado began issuing its 2024 TABOR refunds in summer 2024, with most payments arriving by early fall. The state issued refunds in the same way you received your tax refund — either by direct deposit to your bank account or by check mailed to your address on file, depending on how you filed your 2023 return.

If you filed your 2023 return electronically and provided direct deposit information, your TABOR refund went to that same account. If you filed by paper or did not provide banking details, the state mailed a check. The timeline varied slightly depending on processing volume, but the state revenue department published a schedule showing when different groups of taxpayers would receive their payments.

Other states issued their refunds on different timelines. Check your state revenue department's website or contact them directly if you are unsure when your refund was sent or whether you received it.

What to do if you did not receive your refund

If you filed a 2023 state tax return and did not receive a TABOR refund by late fall 2024, contact your state revenue department. Have your 2023 tax return available, including your filing status and the number of dependents you claimed. The revenue department can look up your account and tell you whether a refund was issued, when it was sent, and where it was directed.

If a check was mailed and you never received it, the state can issue a replacement. If direct deposit was used but the payment failed (for example, if your bank account was closed), the state may have a process to reissue the refund or send it by check instead. Each state handles this differently, so ask your revenue department what options are available.

Do not contact the IRS about a state TABOR refund — the IRS does not handle state refunds. Your state revenue department is the only office that can help locate or reissue a state refund.

TABOR refunds and your federal taxes

A state TABOR refund is not considered income for federal tax purposes, so you do not report it on your federal return and it does not affect your federal tax liability. The IRS treats state tax refunds as a reduction of the state taxes you paid, not as new income.

If you claimed the state and local tax deduction (SALT) on your 2023 federal return, receiving a state refund in 2024 does not change what you already reported. You may need to file an amended federal return only if the refund was large enough to change whether you itemized deductions, which is rare and depends on your specific situation. Most people do not need to take any action on their federal return because of a state TABOR refund.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to pay taxes on the TABOR refund?

No. State TABOR refunds are not taxable income at the federal level or in most states. You do not report it on your federal return, and it does not increase your federal tax liability. A few states may have their own rules, so check with your state revenue department if you want to be certain.

What if I moved to a different state between 2023 and 2024?

Contact the state where you lived when you filed your 2023 return — that is the state that issued your refund. If you moved after filing but before the refund was issued, the state may have sent it to your old address. You can update your address with the state revenue department and request a replacement payment.

Can I claim a TABOR refund on my taxes if I did not receive it?

No. TABOR refunds are issued automatically by the state based on your filed return. If you did not receive one, contact your state revenue department to find out why. You cannot claim it as a deduction or credit on your tax return.

Will there be a TABOR refund in 2025?

That depends on whether each state's revenue exceeds its TABOR limit in the current fiscal year. Colorado and other TABOR states announce refund amounts after their fiscal year ends and revenue is finalized. Check your state revenue department's website in mid-2025 for information about whether a 2025 refund will be issued.