Average IRS tax refund is up 10.6%, filing data shows

The average tax refund so far this season is 10.6% higher than it was for about the same period in 2025, according to the latest IRS filing data.

As of March 6, the average refund amount for individual filers was $3,676, up from $3,324 about a year ago. The IRS reported Friday. The average is lower than the $3,742 reported last week.

The latest submission data reflects that approximately 60.7 million of the approximately 164 million responses expected by April 15 were received by individuals.

Typically, average payback peaks It’s around mid-February when the data begins to include payments claiming the earned income tax credit or the refundable portion of the child tax credit, known as the additional child tax credit, or ACTC, according to a Bipartisan Policy Center analysis. After this rise in February, the average usually declines gradually through Tax Day.

As Republicans highlight the size of their tax rebates as the midterm elections approach, both parties are pitching affordability to potential voters.

One Release in late JanuaryThe White House said average tax refunds could increase by “$1,000 or more,” citing several media reports citing research by investment bank Piper Sandler in early October.

This season, many filers are seeing larger tax refunds due to changes made in the Presidential order Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill“

The IRS did not do this Set payroll withholdings Following the changes in July 2025, this means many workers will be paying excess tax for the rest of the year.

But there could be “a lot of variation among taxpayers” depending on 2025 withholdings and what new tax breaks apply, Garrett Watson, director of policy analysis at the Tax Foundation, previously told CNBC.

As of March 8, more than 27.5 million refunds have been made. Approximately 45% of applicationsDemanded at least one of Trump’s new tax cuts Table 1-AThe U.S. Treasury Department said in a press release this week.

Feeding Program 1-A tax returnsIt’s a new form that includes Trump’s deductions for overtime pay, tip income, senior citizens and auto loan interest.

Meanwhile, the higher limit for the state and local tax deduction, or SALT, applies to applicants who itemize tax deductions rather than just claiming the standard deduction.

Almost through the 2022 tax year. 90% of returns He used the standard deduction based on the most recent IRS data. That same year, nearly 15 million returns claimed the SALT deduction, which is less than 10% of applications.

Experts say these percentages are expected to increase in 2025, which could result in significantly larger refunds for those who qualify.