Average IRS tax refund is up 10.9% so far this season, early data shows
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The average tax refund is 10.9% higher so far this season compared to the same point in 2025, according to early filing data from the IRS.
The 2026 tax season opened on January 26 and average repayment amount That figure rose to $2,290 as of Feb. 6, from $2,065 about a year ago, the IRS reported Friday night.
According to the IRS statement, as of February 6, the total amount refunded was over $16.9 billion, an increase of 1.9% compared to last year. This figure reflects current year returns only.
Earlier Friday, Treasury Secretary and Acting IRS Commissioner Scott Bessent told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that refunds were up 22%. But it was unclear how many days of returns Bessent’s figure reflected or what comparison period he used.
The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The IRS statement said “average refund amounts are strong,” and that figure will increase when the agency begins issuing refunds that include the earned income tax credit or the additional child tax credit in its Feb. 27 announcement.
“Early data [for refunds] It can be tricky,” wrote Andrew Lautz, director of tax policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a nonprofit think tank. tax season guide On January 22.
Typically, filers get a refund if they overpay taxes during the year through payroll withholding or estimated payments. Alternatively, filers owe money on the balance when they don’t make enough payments.
In recent years, IRS data has reflected a smaller refund at the beginning of tax season, but those payments “increased sharply” in mid-February, Lautz wrote.
After the February peak, the average repayment “fell slightly” by the April 15 deadline, he wrote.
In 2025, average payback For individual filers, it was $3,052 through Oct. 17, according to the IRS.
Filers could see larger tax refunds
During the 2026 filing season, with midterm elections approaching, the size of tax refunds has become an important political issue.
New tax deductions were added to the legislation for 2025 and the IRS, adjust payroll withholdingsThis could result in refunds for many workers.
But Garrett Watson, the Tax Foundation’s director of policy analysis, previously told CNBC that “there can be a lot of variation among taxpayers.”
Ultimately, the size of your refund, or the balance due, depends on what new tax deductions apply to your situation and how much you paid during the year, experts say.
