Average IRS tax refund is up 10.9%, latest filing data shows

The average tax refund is 10.9% higher so far this season, compared with about the same period in 2025, according to the latest IRS filing data.As of March 20, the average refund amount for individual filers was $3,571, up from $3,221 roughly one year ago, the IRS reported on Friday. The IRS data reflects about 79 million individual returns received, out of about 164 million expected through the April 15 deadline.Many filers are seeing higher tax refunds compared to the previous season based on changes enacted via President Donald Trump's "big beautiful bill." But the difference hasn't been as large as some early predictions for the average filer.In a March 4 House Ways and Means Committee hearing, Frank Bisignano, Social Security Administration commissioner and IRS CEO, said that certain filers claiming Trump's new tax breaks were seeing average refunds that were $775 higher than last year.These filers claimed Trump's new deductions on Schedule 1-A, which feeds into individual tax returns, he said. The form includes the deductions for tip income, overtime earnings, seniors and auto loan interest. The size of refunds has been a focus for Republicans as many Americans wrestle with rising costs. With the November midterm elections approaching, affordability has been a key issue for both parties in the fight for control of Congress. After several weeks of average refund data, it's "less likely we're going to see a major change" before the April 15 tax deadline, William McBride, chief economist at the Tax Foundation, told CNBC.But the average could still rise as taxpayers claim the bigger deduction for state and local taxes, known as SALT, he said. Trump's legislation raised the SALT limit to $40,000, up from $10,000, for 2025."It's a pretty big deal for higher-income folks that live in expensive cities," McBride said. "Those people don't tend to file [tax returns] early." While many tax forms arrive by late January, higher-earning investors could wait longer for forms detailing brokerage account assets or business income, experts say.However, you must itemize tax breaks, rather than claim the standard deduction, to benefit from the more generous SALT cap for 2025. During tax year 2022, nearly 90% of returns used the standard deduction, based on the latest IRS data. In the same year, about 15 million returns claimed the SALT deduction, fewer than 10% of filings.For 2025 returns, there could be more itemizers due to the SALT deduction change, experts say. Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you.Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inboxGet this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services.© 2026 Versant Media, LLC.

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