Average tax refund is 11.3% higher, IRS filing data through Tax Day shows

As of April 17, the average refund amount for individual filers was $3,275, up from $2,942 about one year ago, the IRS reported on Friday.

The IRS data reflects about 140.2 million individual returns received, out of about 164 million originally expected through the April 15 deadline.

Typically, the IRS provides several more filing season updates after the April due date, including the October extension deadline and before year-end. Some filers impacted by natural disasters still have more time to file.

The legislation included 2025 tax breaks, but the IRS did not update withholding tables for employers. As a result, many W-2 workers overpaid taxes through the rest of 2025, and Trump said filers would see the “largest tax refund season of all time.”

In January, the White House said average refunds could be bigger “by $1,000 or more” compared to the previous year, based on October research from investment bank Piper Sandler. But refunds have averaged around $350 higher, according to IRS filing data.    

Trump’s tax breaks and the size of refunds have been a focal point for Republicans as many Americans struggle with affordability. Both parties have focused on voters’ pocketbook issues as the November midterm elections get closer and GOP lawmakers fight to keep control of Congress.

More than 60 million returns claimed one of Trump’s “signature new tax cuts” this filing season, which included new deductions for tip income, overtime earnings, seniors and auto loan interest, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said April 22 during a Senate Appropriations hearing.

This season, the average tip deduction was worth more than $7,000, while the tax break for overtime income averaged over $3,100, and seniors received an average deduction above $7,500, Bessent said.     

Some filers who itemize tax breaks have also seen windfalls from the bigger federal deduction limit for state and local taxes, known as SALT. Trump’s legislation raised that cap to $40,000, up from $10,000, for 2025.

The Treasury has not released data points about SALT deduction claims for the 2026 filing season. However, there have been “especially large refunds” in high-tax states, which could suggest a SALT deduction boost in places like California or New Jersey, according to Heather Long, chief economist with Navy Federal Credit Union.

During a Tax Day press conference, Bessent urged taxpayers to adjust their 2026 workplace paycheck withholdings for an “automatic real wage increase,” but many tax professionals criticized this advice on social media.      

Most filers, around 56%, had at least some awareness of Trump’s tax breaks this season, according to a Bipartisan Policy Center survey. The nonprofit think tank polled 1,200 taxpayers in late March. 

However, it’s difficult to predict whether Trump’s tax cuts will impact voters during the midterm elections, policy experts say.