Wealthy PotAverage Tax Refund: $3,276 in the 2026 Filing Season, Plus Every Year Since 2018
The average federal tax refund in the 2026 filing season was $3,276. That is the IRS figure for tax year 2025 returns processed through May 8, 2026, the last weekly table the IRS has published for the season. At the same point in 2025 the average was $2,939, so refunds rose 11.5%, or $337. The IRS issued 99.1 million refunds worth $324.8 billion by that date, up from 93.6 million and $275.0 billion a year earlier. Direct deposit refunds averaged $3,273, and about 98% of refunds went by direct deposit. This page sets out the 2026 numbers, the same figure for every season since 2018, how refunds vary by income, and how long they take to arrive.
Table of Contents
The Short Answer
- $3,276 was the average refund in the 2026 filing season (tax year 2025), through May 8, 2026. The same week in 2025 it was $2,939, so the average rose 11.5% (IRS).
- The IRS issued 99,138,000 refunds totaling $324.757 billion by May 8, up 6.0% in number and 18.1% in dollars.
- About 65% of processed returns got a refund and about 98% of refunds were paid by direct deposit (National Taxpayer Advocate).
- $3,276 is the highest mid-May average in IRS data back to 2018. The previous high was $3,033 in 2022.
- Refunds depend on income: for tax year 2023, filers with income of $25,000 to $50,000 averaged about $2,813, and $100,000 to $200,000 about $4,187 (our calculation from IRS Statistics of Income).
- The IRS says it issues most refunds in fewer than 21 days. Paper refund checks began phasing out on Sept. 30, 2025.
The 2026 Filing Season vs 2025
The IRS publishes cumulative filing season statistics most weeks from early February to May. Each table compares the season so far with the same point a year earlier. The final table for 2026 covers returns through May 8, 2026, compared with May 9, 2025. Tax year 2025 returns were due April 15, 2026, so by May 8 nearly all on-time returns were in.
| Measure | Through May 9, 2025 | Through May 8, 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Returns received | 145,855,000 | 144,992,000 | -0.6% |
| Returns processed | 143,556,000 | 143,925,000 | +0.3% |
| Number of refunds | 93,569,000 | 99,138,000 | +6.0% |
| Total amount refunded | $274.979 billion | $324.757 billion | +18.1% |
| Average refund | $2,939 | $3,276 | +11.5% |
| Average direct deposit refund | $3,034 | $3,273 | +7.9% |
| E-filed returns received | 139,496,000 | 141,046,000 | +1.1% |
Slightly fewer returns came in, yet the IRS sent 5.6 million more refunds and about $49.8 billion more money (our calculation from the table). So more filers got money back, and the average check was larger. The IRS did not give a reason for the increase in these tables. The National Taxpayer Advocate, part of the IRS, reported in June that about 65% of the roughly 139 million Forms 1040 processed by the end of the season resulted in a refund, and that about 98% of refunds were delivered by direct deposit.
How the Average Moved Week by Week
The "average tax refund" you see quoted depends heavily on the week. Refunds on returns claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit are held by law until mid-February and then released together. That pushes the average to its high point in late February, and it then drifts down as later returns are added.
| Week ending | Average refund, 2026 | Same week, 2025 | Refunds issued so far, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 6 | $2,290 | $2,065 | 7,403,000 |
| Feb. 13 | $2,476 | $2,169 | 12,957,000 |
| Feb. 20 | $3,804 | $3,453 | 28,738,000 |
| March 13 | $3,623 | $3,271 | 50,391,000 |
| March 20 | $3,571 | $3,221 | 56,729,000 |
| April 3 | $3,462 | $3,116 | 69,818,000 |
| April 17 | $3,275 | $2,942 | 90,411,000 |
| May 8 | $3,276 | $2,939 | 99,138,000 |
The jump between Feb. 13 and Feb. 20 is a legal timing rule, not a change in refunds. Under the PATH Act, the IRS must hold refunds on returns claiming the EITC or Additional Child Tax Credit until Feb. 15. The IRS noted in its Feb. 13 release that those held refunds were not yet counted. Through the whole season the 2026 average ran about 10% to 14% above 2025.
Average Tax Refund by Year, 2018 to 2026
To compare seasons fairly, we took each year's own IRS release from the second week of May, when most on-time returns have been processed. These are the figures for the current season in each release.
| Filing season (tax year) | IRS cut-off week | Average refund | Number of refunds | Total refunded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 (2017) | May 11, 2018 | $2,778 | 102,582,000 | $284.9 billion |
| 2019 (2018) | May 10, 2019 | $2,729 | 101,590,000 | $277.3 billion |
| 2020 (2019) | May 8, 2020 | $2,779 | 87,663,000 | $243.7 billion |
| 2021 (2020) | May 14, 2021 | $2,856 | 88,890,000 | $253.8 billion |
| 2022 (2021) | May 13, 2022 | $3,033 | 95,539,000 | $289.7 billion |
| 2023 (2022) | May 12, 2023 | $2,812 | 94,884,000 | $266.8 billion |
| 2024 (2023) | May 10, 2024 | $2,869 | 93,940,000 | $269.5 billion |
| 2025 (2024) | May 9, 2025 | $2,939 | 93,569,000 | $275.0 billion |
| 2026 (2025) | May 8, 2026 | $3,276 | 99,138,000 | $324.8 billion |
From 2018 to 2025 the average stayed between $2,729 and $3,033. The one earlier spike was 2022, the season for tax year 2021 returns. The 2026 figure broke well above that range: $498 (17.9%) higher than in 2018, before inflation (our calculation). The 2020 and 2021 rows are not like-for-like, because the IRS moved the deadline in both years and many people had not yet filed by mid-May.
Average Refund by Income
The weekly tables do not break refunds down by income. The IRS Statistics of Income division does, from a sample of processed returns, but with a lag. Its latest complete year is tax year 2023 (returns filed in 2024), published in March 2026. We divided the refunded amount by the number of refunded returns in each income band.
| Adjusted gross income | Share of returns with a refund | Average refund | Share owing tax at filing |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1 to $24,999 | 75.3% | $2,249 | 13.1% |
| $25,000 to $49,999 | 78.1% | $2,813 | 20.3% |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 70.9% | $2,500 | 27.5% |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 62.5% | $3,188 | 35.3% |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 55.3% | $4,187 | 41.3% |
| $200,000 to $499,999 | 38.8% | $8,340 | 52.8% |
| $500,000 to $999,999 | 22.7% | $26,082 | 57.2% |
| $1 million or more | 17.1% | $143,968 | 43.3% |
| All returns | 66.8% | $3,342 | 27.2% |
Two patterns stand out. Lower and middle incomes are the most likely to get money back, partly because refundable credits such as the EITC can be paid out even when little or no tax is owed. And refunds grow in dollars at higher incomes, but fewer of those filers get one: above $200,000, more returns owed tax at filing than received a refund. If you want to see where your own income sits, compare it with the average income by age.
All Individual Refunds in a Year
A second IRS measure counts every individual refund paid during the federal fiscal year, whatever the tax year or type of return. The IRS Data Book for fiscal year 2025 (October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025), released June 5, 2026, reports:
| Measure, fiscal year 2025 | Figure |
|---|---|
| Individual income tax refunds issued | 116,872,482 |
| Amount, including interest | $516.4 billion |
| Average individual income tax refund | $3,173 |
| Refunds that included the Earned Income Tax Credit | 22.2 million ($65.2 billion) |
| Refunds that included the child tax credit | 14.0 million ($26.5 billion) |
| Individual returns filed electronically | 93.7% |
The fiscal-year figure is lower than the filing-season average because it mixes in late, amended and prior-year returns and runs on a different calendar. Use the filing-season number to compare one spring with another, and the Data Book for the full annual total. California, Texas and Florida had the largest total refunds of any state.
How Long a Refund Takes
The IRS says it issues most refunds in fewer than 21 days, but that some returns need more review and take longer. Its refunds page gives these typical times:
- E-filed return: about 3 weeks from the date you e-filed. Refund status shows in Where's My Refund? about 24 hours after you e-file a current-year return.
- Mailed paper return: 6 or more weeks from the date the IRS receives it. Status shows about 4 weeks after you mail it.
- EITC or Additional Child Tax Credit: by law, the refund cannot be released before mid-February, however early you file.
In 2026 the system mostly met that target. By April 2, the IRS said over 80% of refunds had been issued in less than 21 days. The National Taxpayer Advocate counted more than 14 million returns suspended during processing for review, and more than one million taxpayers who waited past the normal processing time, about 5½ weeks on average.
Paper checks are now the exception. Under Executive Order 14247, the IRS began phasing out paper refund checks on Sept. 30, 2025. If your return has missing or invalid bank details, the IRS sends a CP53E notice; if you do nothing within 30 days, it mails a paper check six weeks after the notice date. Exceptions exist for hardship and similar cases, and the Advocate reported paper-check delays of six weeks or more for people who needed one. Filing electronically and choosing direct deposit is the fastest route; our tax software comparison covers the main e-file options. Our tax season checklist covers the documents to gather first.
The New Deductions and the 2027 Season
The 2026 season was the first with the deductions created by the One Big Beautiful Bill, which the IRS now calls the Working Families Tax Cuts. Filers claimed them on a new Schedule 1-A: no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on car loan interest and the enhanced deduction for seniors. Before the season the IRS said these provisions "could help lower tax bills and potentially increase refund amounts."
What the IRS has reported since:
- Roughly 45% of individual returns filed in the 2026 season claimed at least one of the four new benefits.
- The average refund on a return claiming one of them was over $3,200, as of May 27, 2026.
The IRS has not said how much of the 11.5% rise in the average refund came from these deductions, and it has published no forecast for the 2027 filing season (tax year 2026 returns). We will add the 2027 figures here once the IRS's weekly tables start, usually in early February. Whether your own refund rises depends on your income, your withholding and which of the new deductions you qualify for; see how the overtime deduction works and the tips deduction, plus the 2026 tax brackets and the 2026 standard deduction that will apply to returns filed in 2027.
What a Big Refund Actually Means
A refund is the IRS returning money you paid during the year beyond what you owed, through paycheck withholding or estimated payments, plus any refundable credits. It is not a bonus. A $3,276 refund works out to about $273 a month that sat with the government interest-free (our arithmetic: $3,276 ÷ 12).
For households that use the refund as forced savings, that can be a fair trade. For others, adjusting withholding with a new Form W-4 puts the money in each paycheck instead; the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator on irs.gov helps size it. Many people aim for a small refund rather than none at all, since 27% of returns in tax year 2023 still owed tax at filing. If a refund is coming, our guide to making the most of your tax refund covers paying down debt, saving and investing it, and a refund is a common way to start or top up an emergency fund.
Sources & Methodology
- IRS, Filing season statistics for week ending May 8, 2026: the headline 2026 and 2025 figures. Earlier 2026 weeks and the comparable weeks of 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018.
- IRS, National Taxpayer Advocate mid-year report, IR-2026-79 (June 24, 2026): share of returns with refunds, direct deposit share, suspended returns and delays.
- IRS Data Book 2025 (Publication 55-B), Tables 1-7 and 1-8, and the June 5, 2026 release with the new-deduction figures.
- IRS Statistics of Income, Table 3.3, Tax Year 2023: refunds and balances due by income.
- IRS, IRS opens 2026 filing season (IR-2026-12), IR-2026-43 (April 2, 2026), IRS Refunds and Modernizing payments to and from America's bank account: refund timing and the paper-check phase-out.
- IRS, IR-2020-58 and IR-2021-59: the moved 2020 and 2021 deadlines.
Method notes. "Average refund" in the headline and history is the IRS's own published figure for refunds on current-year returns processed by the listed week; we did not recompute it. The mid-May week was chosen because it was the last weekly table in 2018, 2019 and 2023 to 2026; in 2020 to 2022 the IRS kept publishing into late May or June, but we used the same mid-May point in every year so the seasons line up. Changes in dollars, the sum of the 2026 increase and the comparison with 2018 are our arithmetic on IRS figures, not adjusted for inflation. The income table divides SOI's refunded amount by the number of refunded returns in each band and combines several SOI size classes into the lowest and highest rows. We did not publish averages by state: the Data Book's state refund amounts include Affordable Care Act premium credit payments, which would distort a simple average.
This article is for general information and is not tax advice. Figures are from the IRS, including its Statistics of Income division and the National Taxpayer Advocate, checked against the primary sources on 2026-10-09. The withholding example is illustrative. Your own refund depends on your income, withholding, credits and deductions; use the IRS tools or speak to a qualified tax professional before changing your withholding.
FAQ
What is the average tax refund in 2026?
$3,276, for tax year 2025 returns processed through May 8, 2026, according to the IRS. That is up 11.5% from $2,939 at the same point in 2025. The average direct deposit refund was $3,273.
What will the average tax refund be in 2027?
Nobody knows yet. The IRS has published no forecast for the 2027 filing season, when tax year 2026 returns are filed. Its weekly statistics usually begin in early February, and we will add them here as they come out.
Why were refunds bigger in 2026?
The IRS has not broken the increase down. It was the first season with the new deductions for tips, overtime, car loan interest and seniors, and the IRS said roughly 45% of returns claimed at least one of them. Returns claiming one averaged a refund of over $3,200 as of May 27.
How many people get a tax refund?
About two in three filers. The National Taxpayer Advocate reported that about 65% of returns processed in the 2026 season got a refund. For tax year 2023, IRS Statistics of Income data show 66.8% of all returns received a refund and 27.2% owed tax at filing.
How long does it take to get a tax refund?
The IRS issues most refunds in fewer than 21 days for e-filed returns with direct deposit. Its refunds page says about 3 weeks for an e-filed return and 6 or more weeks for a mailed paper return. Refunds claiming the EITC or Additional Child Tax Credit cannot be released before mid-February.
What was the average tax refund in 2025?
$2,939 through May 9, 2025, for tax year 2024 returns. In 2024 it was $2,869, and in 2023 it was $2,812, each at the comparable mid-May week.
Does a higher income mean a bigger refund?
In dollars, usually yes, but fewer high earners get one. In tax year 2023, filers with income of $100,000 to $200,000 averaged a $4,187 refund, but only 55.3% got a refund. Filers earning $25,000 to $50,000 averaged $2,813, and 78.1% got one (our calculation from IRS data).
Is it better to get a big refund or a small one?
A refund means you overpaid during the year and the IRS held the money without interest. A small refund keeps more in each paycheck while lowering the risk of owing at filing. Some people prefer a larger refund as a forced saving habit; the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator helps you choose.
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"Average Tax Refund: $3,276 in the 2026 Filing Season, Plus Every Year Since 2018." Wealthy Pot, 2026. https://wealthypot.com/average-tax-refund/
