If the high prices of groceries and living essentials are making it difficult for you to make ends meet, you may be able to get some relief through the Virginia tax rebate for 2023.

There are no new stimulus programs introduced by the federal or Virginia state government for 2024, but it’s still possible to get financial help through assistance programs like unemployment insurance, rental assistance, and food benefits.

Is There a Virginia State Stimulus Check in 2024?

No new stimulus checks have been announced for Virginia residents in 2024. However, you can still claim the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) when you file your 2023 tax returns. The fully refundable tax credit is 15% of the federal credit, while the non-refundable tax credit is 20% of the federal credit.

If you qualify for the federal EITC, you’ll be automatically eligible for the state’s tax credit, which can reduce the amount of your taxes payable and help you get a bigger tax refund.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin also signed H.B. 6001 in September 2023, which increased the standard deductions for Virginia taxpayers to provide tax relief.

  • The standard deduction for tax years starting on January 1, 2022, but before January 1, 2024, is $8,000 (single individuals) and $16,000 (married couples, half the amount for married filing separately).
  • The standard deduction for tax years starting on January 1, 2024, but before January 1, 2026, is $8,500 (single individuals) and $17,000 (married couples, half the amount for married filing separately).

If you qualify for the three Economic Impact Payments but haven’t received them, you can still file your 2020 tax returns before May 17, 2024, to receive the stimulus payments.

Virginia Stimulus Check 2023: Tax Rebates

Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) signed a new budget in 2023, through which many state residents also received the Virginia tax rebate in 2023.

This one-time tax rebate was issued by the Commonwealth to help eligible taxpayers keep more of their income for essentials like groceries or gas. This was the second time in recent years that surplus revenue in Virginia’s budget was returned to Virginians.

How Do Virginia Tax Rebates Work?

If you qualify for the Virginia tax rebate 2023, you’ll receive it via paper check or direct deposit. If you received your state tax refund through direct deposit, your rebate will be deposited in the same bank account. If you received your refund by paper check, you’ll also receive the rebate check by mail.

Who Is Eligible for Virginia’s Tax Rebate?

Not every taxpayer is eligible for the stimulus check for 2023 in Virginia. You may be eligible if:

  • You filed your 2022 income tax return by November 1, 2023.
  • You have a tax liability in the state.

“If you only received income from disability income benefits, Social Security retirement benefits, and/or unemployment benefits in the 2022 tax year, you will not be eligible for the tax credit stimulus provided by the Commonwealth of Virginia,” explains Brad Reichert, founder and managing director of Reichert Asset Management.  

“Since the state of Virginia doesn’t tax income from these sources, you would have a zero state tax liability.  Because the tax credit’s requirement is that you have a positive tax amount due to the state for that year, you would not qualify to receive the tax rebate,” shares Reichert.

You can use the rebate lookup tool to determine your eligibility. Enter your Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) or Social Security Number (SSN) and zip code to check if you qualify.

How Much Do You Receive and When?

If you qualify for the tax rebate, you may receive up to $200 if you’re a single filer and $400 if you’re a joint filer.

Payments were issued based on the information on your income tax returns for the year 2022. Processing time for tax returns is usually four weeks (electronically filed returns) to eight weeks (paper-filed returns).

How To Track the Status of Virginia’s Tax Rebate

There’s no official status tracker for the Virginia tax rebate 2023 to determine if or when you’ll be receiving the rebate. However, most residents started receiving their rebate checks in October 2023. Payments were processed in the order in which taxes were filed, so if you filed your tax return late, your rebate check may have been delayed.

How To Apply for Virginia’s Tax Rebate

To claim your tax rebate, you’ll need to understand the tax filing process, know the important program deadlines, and prepare the documents. Other than filing your federal and state tax returns, you don’t need to take any action to claim your tax rebate.  

What Do You Do if You Did Not Receive Your Stimulus Check

If you didn’t receive your Virginia stimulus check in 2023, contact the Virginia Department of Taxation’s customer service. The customer service number for individuals is 804-367-8031. Phone service is available from Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time.

Get Your Virginia Stimulus Check 

If you’re looking for a little extra help to cover your bills, there are a number of ways to ease the burden. You can still claim your Rebate Recovery Credit if you didn’t receive the stimulus checks issued during the coronavirus pandemic.

You can also claim the Virginia tax rebate for 2023, which was up to $400. There are a number of ways you can reduce your tax obligations to receive a larger refund, such as through the Earned Income Tax Credit.

If you’re facing financial hardship, consider looking for government assistance programs you may qualify for on Benefits.gov.