WATCH: Senator Miller holds a press conference to introduce the Minnesota Refund Program.

St. Paul, MN – Today, Senator Jeremy Miller (R-Winona) introduced the Minnesota Refund Program, an innovative new bill that would automatically send future state budget surpluses back to taxpayers if the Legislature and governor fail to pass tax relief. 

Under the Minnesota Refund Program, if the November revenue forecast projects a budget surplus, 75% of that surplus would be allocated to the Minnesota Refund Account. The Legislature and governor will then have until March 1 to pass and sign a tax relief package into law using the funds in the account. If a tax relief bill is not signed into law by the deadline, the funds in the Minnesota Refund Account will be automatically distributed to taxpayers in the form of rebate checks. 

“Minnesota has had a series of massive budget surpluses, but the folks who created these surpluses haven’t seen any significant relief,” Miller said. “The state continues to over-collect from taxpayers while record rates of inflation continue to increase the cost of virtually every good and service we use. The Minnesota Refund Program incorporates ideas from Democrats and Republicans, and if passed, would put a significant amount of money back into the pockets of hardworking Minnesota. This proposal puts taxpayers first by holding the Legislature and governor accountable for delivering relief to Minnesotans.”

Had the Minnesota Refund Program been in place at the time of the November 2022 revenue forecast, approximately $8.7 billion would have been transferred into the Minnesota Refund Account, with about 2.2 million filers qualifying for a refund. Married couples filing a joint return would have received a check of roughly $5,100, while all other qualifying filers would have received approximately $2,550. Senator Miller is recommending the House, Senate, and Gov. Walz act promptly to pass this proposal, including the $8.7 billion that would have transferred to the account had this bill been law when the November forecast was released so Minnesotans don’t have to wait any longer for this much-deserved relief.

The Minnesota Refund Program guarantees that taxpayers get their money back when the state over-collects. The bill provides a fair and commonsense approach to handling budget surpluses, combining the best ideas from both sides of the aisle to create a plan that prioritizes taxpayers.