How to make sure you get your $800 TABOR refund now that Colorado is accepting tax returns

Rebecca Powell, Fort Collins Coloradoan
·2 min read

Itching to get your $800 TABOR refund (or $1,600, if you're married)?

You're closer than ever now that the Colorado Department of Revenue has begun processing tax forms for the 2023 tax year (due in 2024).

The department announced Monday it is now processing returns, a couple of weeks after the federal government began accepting returns.

Colorado law requires the state to refund revenues that exceed certain caps. This is due to the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, known as TABOR. Some of this money is refunded through the income tax filing process.

For the 2023 tax year, the Colorado legislature opted to make all refunds equal. Single filers will receive $800, and married couples filing jointly will receive $1,600.

In past years, refund amounts were dependent on your income. And in late 2022, refunds were given in the form of a check and branded as Colorado Cash Back.

Don't miss out: You must file a Colorado tax return to get your TABOR refund

If you aren't required to file a federal tax form and don't have tax liability in Colorado, you'll still want to file in Colorado this year so you can get the refund.

Here's help on how to do that:

How to file for free

Coloradans can e-file their state income taxes for free through the state's Revenue Online service.

The IRS Free File program lists several services that allow people who make under $79,000 adjusted gross income to file their federal — and sometimes their state — income taxes online for free.

Also, Colorado has a list of tax help resources at tax.colorado.gov/community-tax-help.

There's a Taxpayer Helpline at 303-238-7378, open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. You can also make an appointment to visit a Service Center in person at tax.colorado.gov/visit-a-service-center.

Check the status of your Colorado tax refund

After your state return has been filed, you can check the status of your refund at https://www.colorado.gov/revenueonline/ by clicking on "Where's My Refund for Individuals" in the box labeled "Refund Resources." Just be sure to have your Social Security number and the amount of your expected refund handy (or alternatively, your PIN/letter ID).

You can get more information on tracking your tax refund at tax.colorado.gov.

Do I have to count my last TABOR refund as income this year?

Officials in Gov. Jared Polis' and Sen. Michael Bennet's offices said the IRS told them the TABOR refunds will not be taxable for the 2023 tax year.

That means you don't have to report any Colorado Cash Back refund received in 2023 as income on your federal taxes this filing season.

Tax season 2023: Here's what you need to know before filing income taxes this year

Coloradoan reporter Sady Swanson contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado is now processing tax refunds: How to get your TABOR refund