The mean tax return is 11.2% greater this year, compared to approximately the same time in 2025, based on the most recent IRS filing statistics.
As of April 10, the average refund amount for individual taxpayers stood at $3,397, increased from $3,055 roughly one year prior, as reported by the IRS on Friday.
The IRS figures represent around 114 million individual submissions received, out of roughly 164 million expected by Tax Day. The upcoming filing update is anticipated to feature data through the April 15 deadline.
President Donald Trump‘s 2025 legislation, renamed the “working families tax cuts,” served as a crucial discussion point for Republicans on Tax Day.
As the midterm elections in November draw nearer and Republicans aim to maintain narrow majorities in Congress, many GOP politicians have underscored Trump’s tax incentives and increased average refunds.
Simultaneously, issues of affordability have been at the forefront of concerns for many Americans in light of growing expenses for fuel, electricity, food, and various living costs.
Among those expecting a refund this year, nearly a quarter, or 23%, intended to apply the funds to decrease credit card debt, while the same percentage indicated they would save their refund, according to the CNBC and SurveyMonkey Quarterly Money Survey, published in April. The survey questioned 3,494 U.S. adults at March’s end.
Whose benefited from Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’
“This has been an excellent tax period for the American populace,” many of whom have gained from Trump’s tax benefits, said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a White House press conference on Wednesday.
Over 53 million tax filers took advantage of at least one of Trump’s “signature new tax cuts” — including deductions for tip income, overtime wages, senior citizens, and interest on auto loans, as the Department of the Treasury revealed on Wednesday.
Taxpayers who reported these deductions on Schedule 1-A experienced an average tax reduction exceeding $800, according to the Treasury. Tax reductions can lead to either an increased refund or lowered taxes owed, which varies based on the individual taxpayer’s context.
Some taxpayers who detail tax benefits have also gained from the heightened federal deduction cap for state and local taxes, often referred to as SALT. Trump’s legislation elevated that limit to $40,000, up from $10,000, for 2025.
The recent change to the SALT deduction limit is predicted to mostly assist higher income earners, according to a May 2025 analysis of multiple proposals from the Tax Foundation.
The Treasury has yet to provide statistics on how many taxpayers have utilized the SALT deduction throughout the 2026 filing period.
