The average tax refund in 2025 was $3,167, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
Though it would be nice for that number to climb higher with a snap of the fingers, it’s not that easy, said certified public accountant Riley Adams, a partner at California-based accounting firm Daniel M. Kavanaugh. “To be frank, tax season can be stressful, and people often neglect to include every applicable tax document, deduction, or tax position,” Adams said. “This can be purely accidental, even tax pros do it.”
Amid the stress, there are certain things to watch for and double-check to maximize a tax refund, experts said.
Avoid refund advances
Many tax preparation platforms offer filers the chance to get a same-day advance on their refund in exchange for preparation fees and, in some cases, interest.
While these offers can be tempting, it’s best to use them only when absolutely necessary, said Christopher Jervis, an enrolled agent and president of accounting firm Lone Wolf Financial Services LLC.
“The only time I suggest using a refund advance service is when there is an immediate threat of financial hardship,” Jervis told The Independent in an email. “Is your electricity about to be disconnected? Is your car about to be repossessed? Then an advance product may be worth it.”
Otherwise, tax refund advances are simply too costly, with some firms charging 36 percent to 120 percent interest, he said.
“It's just not worth it, particularly for taxpayers who may already be struggling financially,” he said.
Senior surprise
Seniors 65 or older who are looking to maximize their tax refund can take advantage of the new “enhanced deduction for seniors,” Schneider said.
The deduction is $6,000 for one person and $12,000 for two. Also, he pointed out that the seniors deduction is added to standard and itemized deductions, meaning the majority of filers can stack it on top of their existing deductions with very little work.
Taxpayers with a modified adjusted gross income (a calculation theI RS uses to determine, among other things, eligibility for tax benefits) of more than $75,000 for single filers and $150,000 for joint filers will see their deduction decrease as their income climbs, AARP noted.
Get down to business
Businesses that want to maximize their refund often find what they’re looking for on Schedule C, a business-focused form that includes a wide range of deductions and credits for businesses and sole proprietors.
“[Businesses] often have the most deductions and credits available to them as compared to individuals,” Adams said. “Schedule C income has a lot of room to deduct relevant business expenses and claim applicable credits to lower your tax bill.”
The Schedule C includes the valuable qualified business income deduction, which can be as much as 20 percent of a business’s net income, he said.
The “QBI” applies to sole proprietors and four other business types, including partnerships and S corporations, the IRS notes.
Depend on dependents
Dependents is a common word on tax returns, and means the people in a taxpayer’s life that rely on them for the majority of their care and financial support, whether a child or relative.
Having dependents can be expensive, so tax rules allow filers to get a credit for them: $2,200 for children and $500 for other dependents.
Tax credits are more valuable than deductions because they directly reduce taxes owed. For example, say someone’s taxable income is $44,000, and they owe $4,400 in taxes. A $4,400 tax credit would reduce the owed amount to $0.
“It’s essential to claim your dependents properly if you want to benefit from the child tax credit and the child and dependent care credit,” noted Oklahoma-based accounting firm Brown, Chism & Thompson. “If you haven’t yet claimed a child or dependent, claiming your dependents properly this time around can increase your tax refund.”
Drive up your refund
A new tax rule, included in President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, allows taxpayers to deduct up to $10,000 in interest paid for auto loans for new cars assembled in the U.S.
The deduction likely won’t be as big as others mentioned above, though. Someone who bought a new American-made car in 2025 would likely get a deduction of just a few thousand dollars, at most, policy group Bipartisan Policy Center estimated.
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