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The common tax refund is 14.2% greater to date this season, in comparison with about the identical interval in 2025, in line with early IRS submitting knowledge.
As of Feb. 13, the typical refund quantity for particular person filers was $2,476, up from $2,169 about one yr prior, the IRS reported on Friday. The information is cumulative from the Jan. 26 tax season opening.
The full quantity refunded was about $32 billion, up 8.3% from 2025, in line with the IRS launch. Nevertheless, the full 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 “massive lovely invoice” could impression the scale of tax refunds this season.
In a Reality Social publish on Tuesday, Trump mentioned tax refunds are “considerably higher than ever earlier than.”
“In some instances, estimates are that over 20% might 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 number of days earlier, on Feb. 13, Treasury Secretary and appearing IRS Commissioner Scott Bessent informed CNBC’s “Squawk Field” the typical tax refund was 22% greater to date 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 greater than the typical refund enhance 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 enhance
“To date, refunds are up, which is in step with our and the Trump administration’s expectations heading into the submitting season,” Andrew Lautz, director of tax coverage for the Bipartisan Coverage Heart, a nonprofit suppose tank, informed CNBC.
However there’s nonetheless not sufficient submitting knowledge to help conclusions about submitting season traits, he mentioned.
Sometimes, the typical refund measurement will increase beginning round mid-February as soon as funds embody the earned earnings tax credit score or extra youngster tax credit score, the IRS mentioned in its first submitting season statistics launch on Feb. 13.
These numbers may very well be mirrored within the company’s submitting knowledge by means of Feb. 20, which the IRS will launch on Feb. 27.
