Average tax refund is nearly 11% higher so far this year, IRS data shows
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Early tax filers are enjoying bigger refunds compared to the same time last year, according to the latest figures from the Internal Revenue Service. Edited by Aimee Picchi In:
Early tax filers are enjoying bigger refunds compared to the same time last year, according to the latest figures from the Internal Revenue Service.
As of Feb. 6, 2026, tax refunds averaged $2,290, up nearly 11% from the same point last year. "Average refund amounts are strong," the IRS said in a statement last week.
Forecasters have predicted filers would benefit from larger checks this year due to a series of new tax provisions included in the "one big, beautiful" bill signed by President Trump in July. One financial services firm, Piper Sandler, estimated the average payment would increase by about $1,000 per filer.
The biggest benefits are likely to flow to those in the top 10% of households, experts have said. Lower-earning taxpayers will also see gains, but they aren't as likely to enjoy as big a jump in refund amounts as higher-income households, according to a Jan. 30 analysis from investment firm Principal Asset Management.
Tax season officially kicked off on Jan. 26, 2026. As of early February, the IRS has received nearly 22.4 million returns, slightly down from 23.6 million the same time last year, the agency's data shows.
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