US Internal Revenue Service data shows that the average tax refund size in 2026 has increased by 10.2% so far this filing season compared with the same period in 2025. The average tax refund as of 20th February was $3,804 for individual filers, higher than $3,453 a year earlier.
Furthermore, the total refund amount rose 6.9% YoY to $109 billion. However, the total number of tax returns processed fell by 2.4%. The marked rise in tax refunds could be attributed to US President Donald Trump's big beautiful bill, which the White House said in late January could boost average tax refunds by $1,000 or more.
