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Americans receive larger ones tax refunds on average in the 2026 filing season than last year, although taxpayers are filing returns at a slower pace in the first few weeks than a year ago.
The newest IRS tax return information was released by the bureau on Friday and showed that as of Feb. 6, the average tax refund amount paid to taxpayers was $2,290.
That represents a 10.9% increase compared to the average size of refunds paid at the same stage of the 2025 tax filing season, when the average refund amount was $2,065.
As of February 6, more than 7.4 million refunds have been issued, a decrease of 8.1% from the same period last year, when almost 8.1 million was paid out to taxpayers.
THIS IS WHEN TAXPAYERS GET THEIR REFUNDS
Average tax refunds paid to Americans are up more than 10% so far this filing season, the IRS reported. (Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images)
Although the number of refunds has decreased, the total amount refunded increased by 1.9% from almost $16.7 billion to almost $17 billion, increasing the size of the economy. average refund.
IRS data also showed that the average direct deposit refund rose by a similar amount compared to this point in last year’s tax filing season, as the average direct deposit refund for the current year is $2,388 – up 10.3% from $2,165 at this time a year ago.
Although refunds are increasing so far in the 2026 filing season compared to a year ago, the number of tax returns received and processed has decreased compared to last year.
TAX RETURN SEASON IS OFFICIALLY HERE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The IRS reported that Americans are filing tax returns at a slower pace so far this tax season. (J.David Ake/Getty Images)
The IRS reported receiving nearly 22.4 million returns as of Feb. 6, a 5.2% decrease from last year, when nearly 23.6 million returns were received during the same phase of the filing season.
The IRS offers an online “Where is my refund?tool that allows taxpayers to check the status of their tax refund.
The IRS website states that processing a tax refund typically takes 21 days electronically filed returnswhile mailed returns can take six weeks or more to reach taxpayers. Refunds may also take longer if the return requires corrections or additional review.
BESSENT EXPECTS TAXPAYERS WILL SEE ‘VERY LARGE’ TAX REFUNDS EARLY NEXT YEAR
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said taxpayers will receive large refunds this tax season. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Taxpayers preparing to file their returns should consider setting this up direct deposit with the IRS if they want to receive their refund sooner.
Taxpayers who file their returns electronically can usually see the status of their refund within 24 hours via the “Where’s My Refund?” tool, which can provide refund information not only for the current year, but also for the past two years.
If a taxpayer needs to amend their return after filing, it may take longer to receive their tax return. Amended returns can take up to three weeks to appear in the IRS system and up to 16 weeks to be processed.
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The tax authorities also offer a “Where is my amended tax return?” tool for taxpayers who have filed an amended return and want to track the status of their filing and any associated refund.
