Average tax refund is 11.2% higher, latest IRS filing data shows
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The average tax refund this season is 11.2% higher than during about the same period in 2025, according to the latest IRS filing data.
As of April 10, average refund amount For individual filers, that amount rose to $3,397 from $3,055 about a year ago, the IRS reported Friday.
IRS data reflects approximately 114 million individual returns received. approximately 164 million are expected via Tax Day. Next week’s filing update is expected to include data through the April 15 deadline.
President Donald Trump’s 2025 bill, rebranded as “tax cuts for working families,” was a major talking point for Republicans on Tax Day.
As the November midterm elections approach and Republicans defend their slim majority in Congress, many GOP lawmakers have emphasized Trump’s tax cuts and higher average refunds.
Meanwhile, affordability is top of mind for many Americans as gas, electricity, food and other living costs rise.
About a quarter, or 23%, of applicants expecting a refund this season planned to use the money to pay off credit card debt, and the same share said they would save money on the payment, according to the report. CNBC and SurveyMonkey Quarterly Money SurveyIt was published in April. The survey surveyed 3,494 U.S. adults in late March.
Who benefited from Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’?
“It’s been a great tax season for the American people, many of whom benefited from Trump’s tax cuts,” Treasury Secretary said Scott Bessent said during a speech: White House press conference on Wednesday.
More than 53 million applicants have claimed at least one of Trump’s “signature new tax breaks” (deductions for tip income, overtime earnings, senior citizens and auto loan interest), the U.S. Treasury Department announced Wednesday.
Applicants claiming deductions Table 1-AAccording to the Treasury, the average tax reduction was over $800. Tax deductions can trigger a higher refund or reduce taxes owed, depending on the filer’s situation.
Some applicants who itemized tax deductions also took advantage of the larger federal deduction limit for state and local taxes, known as SALT. Trump’s legislation increased that cap from $10,000 to $40,000 for 2025.
The latest SALT deduction limit change is expected to be as follows: primarily benefits high-income earnersAccording to a May 2025 analysis of several proposals by the Tax Foundation.
The Treasury did not publish data on how many applicants requested the SALT discount in the 2026 application season.
