CA Rebate Launch Date Announced: Calculate Your Estimated Amount

CALIFORNIA — Beginning Friday, California is set to start sending out some $9.5 billion in rebates, with individual refunds of up to $1,050 possible, the governor's office announced Thursday.

Gov. Gavin Newsom called California's Middle-Class Tax Refund initiative the largest refund program in state history. Payments are set to go out just as the state's gas prices catapulted nearly $3 above the national average.

The national average price for a gallon of regular gas on Thursday was $3.86, while California's was $6.42. This is "almost unheard of," Marie Montgomery, a spokesperson for Automobile Club of Southern California told Patch on Wednesday.

Newsom administration officials said the difference between state prices and the national average has never been larger.

READ MORE: CA's 'Unheard Of' Gas Prices Spike Again: 5 Things To Know

“We know it’s expensive right now, and California is putting money back into your pockets to help. We’re sending out refunds worth over a thousand dollars to help families pay for everything from groceries to gas," Newsom said Thursday.

Some 18 million payments will begin hitting bank accounts this week and could benefit up to 23 million Californians. From Friday through Nov. 14, an estimated 8 million direct deposits are expected to arrive in bank accounts. From Oct. 25 through January 15, 2023, some 10 million debit cards will be delivered.

Estimate your amount using this tool.

“Inflated costs for everyday necessities have forced many to cut corners or make impossible choices, and pain at the pump has been compounded by the return of the commute for many Californians” said State Controller and Franchise Tax Board Chair Betty T. Yee. “As the holidays approach, my team members are thrilled to be able to get these payments into the hands of those who have been struggling, so they can enjoy a measure of relief.”

The rebate was made possible by another historic state budget surplus.

READ MORE: Newsom Targets 6 Issues To Fund With Record $97.5B Budget Surplus

In March, the Democratic governor said he planned to submit a revised budget to the state Legislature to "put money back in Californians' pockets to address rising gas prices."

Who is getting a rebate?

To receive this rebate, residents must have completed a 2020 California tax return by Oct. 15, 2021. Recipients must have been a California resident for six months or more during the 2020 tax year and must be a resident on the date that payment is issued.

Recipients also must not have been eligible to be claimed as a dependent in the 2020 tax year.

Determine your eligibility here.

How much will I get?

Single filers who make under $75,000 per year will get $350, joint filers with a combined income of under $150,000 will get $350 each and those with dependents will also receive an additional $350.

Anyone who makes more than $125,000 but less than $250,000 individually will be given $200. Another $200 would be given for any dependents.

Payments will not be given to single filers who make more than $250,000 a year or to joint filers or single-filers who make more than $500,000.