---
title: O.C.G.A. § 48-7-166. Final determination of debt due; escrow account transfers; crediting of debt due; notice of setoff; refund of excess; disbursement of funds.
collection: code
id: 48-7-166
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 48-7-166 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/48-7-166
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/48-7-166.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/48-7-166/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t48-ch7-8-(v37)-2024-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=1ff964a3_0#page=625
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/48-7.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: REVENUE AND TAXATION / INCOME TAXES / SETOFF DEBT COLLECTION
---

# O.C.G.A. § 48-7-166. Final determination of debt due; escrow account transfers; crediting of debt due; notice of setoff; refund of excess; disbursement of funds.

(a)(1) Upon final determination of the amount of the debt due and owing by means of the hearing provided by Code Section 48-7-165 or by the taxpayer’s default through failure to comply with subsection (c) of Code Section 48-7-164, the claimant agency shall remove the amount of the debt due and owing from the escrow account established pursuant to Code Section 48-7-164 and shall credit the amount to the debtor’s obligation.

(2) Upon final determination of the amount of the debt due and owing as provided by Code Section 48-7-165.1, or by the taxpayer’s default through failure to comply with subsection (c) of Code Section 48-7-164, the Administrative Office of the Courts shall remove the amount of the debt due and owing from the escrow account established pursuant to Code Section 48-7-164 and shall credit the amount to the debtor’s obligation.

(b) Upon transfer of the debt due and owing from the escrow account to the credit of the debtor’s account, the claimant agency or the Administrative Office of the Courts shall notify the debtor in writing of the finalization of the setoff. The department shall prepare a notice for use by the claimant agency or the Administrative Office of the Courts. Such notice shall include a final accounting of the refund which was set off, including the amount of the refund to which the debtor was entitled prior to setoff, the amount of the debt due and owing, the amount of the refund in excess of the debt which has been returned to the debtor by the department pursuant to Code Section 48-7-164, and the amount of the funds transferred to the claimant agency or the Administrative Office of the Courts pursuant to Code Section 48-7-164 in excess of the debt finally determined to be due and owing at a hearing held pursuant to Code Section 48-7-165 or 48-7-165.1, if such a hearing was held or the amount of the funds transferred to the Administrative Office of the Courts pursuant to Code Section 48-7-164 is in excess of the debt finally determined to be due and owing pursuant to Code Section 48-7-165.1 as determined in the filing of an appeal. At such time, the claimant agency or the Administrative Office of the Courts shall refund to the debtor the amount of the claimed debt originally certified and transferred to it by the department in excess of the amount of debt finally found to be due and owing.

(c) Following finalization of the setoff pursuant to subsection (b) of this Code section, the Administrative Office of the Courts shall transfer the funds to the court. Any funds so transferred by the Administrative Office of the Courts shall be disbursed by the court in the same manner as if such funds had been originally collected by such court without having resorted to collection under this article.

## History

Code 1933, § 91A-4107, enacted by Ga. L. 1980, p. 1555, § 1; Ga. L. 2014, p. 56, § 1/HB 1000.