Average Tax Refund Up 10.6% This Year, IRS Data Shows

Tax refunds are running more than 10% larger this filing season, the IRS reported, with the average individual refund reaching $3,742. That's up from $3,382 at roughly the same point in 2025.

The increase is being driven in part by new deductions signed into law by President Donald Trump that are appearing on returns for the first time.

The IRS released its cumulative filing season statistics through Feb. 27, 2026, comparing them to the same period in 2025. The data covers roughly 51.5 million individual returns received out of approximately 164 million expected before the April 15 deadline.