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The common tax refund is 14.2% larger up to now this season, in comparison with about the identical interval in 2025, in accordance with early IRS submitting information.
As of Feb. 13, the common refund quantity for particular person filers was $2,476, up from $2,169 about one 12 months prior, the IRS reported on Friday. The information is cumulative from the Jan. 26 tax season opening.
The whole quantity refunded was about $32 billion, up 8.3% from 2025, in accordance with the IRS launch. Nevertheless, the overall filings acquired was down by 2.6%.
Because the midterm elections get nearer, the Trump administration and congressional Republicans have been laser-focused on how Trump’s “big beautiful bill” might affect the dimensions of tax refunds this season.
In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump mentioned tax refunds are “substantially greater than ever before.”
“In some circumstances, estimates are that over 20% will likely be returned to the Taxpayer,” he wrote. It is unclear which estimates Trump was referencing. The White Home didn’t reply to CNBC’s request for clarification.
A couple of days earlier, on Feb. 13, Treasury Secretary and performing IRS Commissioner Scott Bessent instructed CNBC’s “Squawk Box” the average tax refund was 22% higher up to now this season. It wasn’t clear what number of days of returns Bessent’s determine included or what comparability interval he used. However his determine was considerably larger than the average refund increase of 10.9% the IRS introduced later that day.
The Treasury has not responded to CNBC’s requests for remark.
Why common tax refunds may improve
“To date, refunds are up, which is in keeping with our and the Trump administration’s expectations heading into the submitting season,” Andrew Lautz, director of tax coverage for the Bipartisan Coverage Middle, a nonprofit suppose tank, instructed CNBC.
However there’s nonetheless not sufficient submitting information to assist conclusions about submitting season developments, he mentioned.
Sometimes, the common refund size increases beginning round mid-February as soon as funds embrace the earned income tax credit or further child tax credit, the IRS mentioned in its first filing season statistics release on Feb. 13.
These numbers might be mirrored within the company’s submitting information by Feb. 20, which the IRS will launch on Feb. 27.
