Average Tax Refund Around 11 Percent Higher Than a Year Ago: IRS Data

The top of a form 1040 individual income tax return, in this file photo. Tim Boyle/Getty ImagesNew data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) show that the average tax refunds in the 2026 filing season have risen about 11 percent as the filing deadline soon approaches.The IRS said that as of March 20, the latest data available, the average refund increased 10.9 percent from $3,221 from the same time period last year to $3,571 so far during the 2026 filing season, according to an update published on the agency website on March 27.