The average tax refund for American taxpayers has increased on a year-over-year basis, the IRS said in a Feb. 20 update.
The average refund amount increased 14.2 percent in 2026 to $2,476 as of Feb. 13, according to the agency. Last year, the average refund for the same time period was $2,169. Meanwhile, the average direct deposit refund amount for taxpayers is up 13.1 percent year over year, from $2,252 in 2025 to $2,548 in 2026.
The IRS added that the total number of tax returns that the agency has received and processed is down slightly year over year.
About 32,175,000 tax returns have been filed as of Feb. 13, a 2.6 percent decrease year over year. For the same time period last year, 33,040,000 tax returns were filed, the agency said….
Early Tax Refunds Are Showing a 14 Percent Increase, IRS Says
