Fact-checked by Jupid experts
Reviewed by our in-house tax team before publishing. Every figure is validated against:
Last reviewed: November 11, 2026
The average federal tax refund in the 2026 filing season was $3,276, up 11.5% from $2,939 at the same point in 2025, according to IRS filing season statistics for the week ending May 8, 2026, the latest weekly report the IRS has published. By that date the IRS had received 144,992,000 individual income tax returns and issued 99,138,000 refunds worth $324.76 billion. In the week of the April 15 deadline the average was $3,275, the highest mid-April figure in IRS weekly data going back to 2009. The latest full-year figure is $3,167, for refunds issued in calendar 2025.
Key takeaways:
The average refund in the 2026 filing season was $3,276 through May 8, 2026: $324.757 billion refunded divided by 99,138,000 refunds, per the IRS filing season statistics for that week. The weekly reports count refunds on current-year returns processed since the season opened on January 26, 2026. As of November 10, 2026, the IRS had posted no 2026 report after May 8; for the 2025 season it added reports for October 17 and December 26.
| IRS filing season statistics | Week ending May 9, 2025 | Week ending May 8, 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Returns received | 145,855,000 | 144,992,000 | -0.6% |
| Returns processed | 143,556,000 | 143,925,000 | +0.3% |
| E-filed returns received | 139,496,000 | 141,046,000 | +1.1% |
| Refunds issued | 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% |
| Direct deposit refunds | 86,937,000 | 99,225,000 | +14.1% |
| Amount refunded by direct deposit | $263.726 billion | $324.744 billion | +23.1% |
| Average direct deposit refund | $3,034 | $3,273 | +7.9% |
Source: IRS, Filing season statistics for week ending May 8, 2026. Percentage changes as published by the IRS.
At the deadline the picture was the same. In the week ending April 17, 2026, two days after the April 15 due date, the IRS had received 140,222,000 returns and issued 90,411,000 refunds averaging $3,275, up 11.3% from $2,942 in the week ending April 18, 2025.
The IRS ties the increase to Public Law 119-21, the July 2025 law it calls the Working Families Tax Cuts and also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Its new deductions for tips, overtime, car loan interest and seniors apply to 2025 returns, but the IRS announced in August 2025 that federal withholding tables would not be updated for those provisions for tax year 2025 (IR-2025-82), so the savings arrived as refunds. On April 15, 2026, IRS CEO Frank Bisignano told the Senate Finance Committee that more than 45% of filers through April 10 had used one of the new deductions. For 2026, Publication 15-T updates the withholding tables for P.L. 119-21 and the 2026 Form W-4 adds the new deductions, so employees who submit an updated W-4 receive part of the benefit in each paycheck instead of in the next refund; our Form W-4 guide walks through the form.
Measured in the first IRS weekly report after each year's filing deadline, the average refund rose from $2,763 in 2017 to $3,275 in 2026, an 18.5% increase in nominal dollars (our calculation from IRS filing season statistics). The 2026 figure is the highest mid-April average in the IRS weekly series, which starts in 2009; the previous high was $3,103 in the week ending April 15, 2022. The average fell 8.6% in 2023, from $3,012 to $2,753, the only drop of more than 2% in the decade.
| Filing season | Report week ending | Refunds issued by that week | Average refund, deadline week | Full calendar year average (report week) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | April 21, 2017 | 97,104,000 | $2,763 | $2,895 (Dec. 29) |
| 2018 | April 20, 2018 | 95,434,000 | $2,780 | $2,910 (Dec. 28) |
| 2019 | April 19, 2019 | 95,737,000 | $2,725 | $2,869 (Dec. 27) |
| 2020* | July 17, 2020 | 100,483,000 | $2,748 | $2,549 (Dec. 11) |
| 2021* | May 21, 2021 | 95,632,000 | $2,827 | $2,815 (Dec. 3) |
| 2022 | April 22, 2022 | 88,667,000 | $3,012 | $3,252 (Dec. 30) |
| 2023 | April 21, 2023 | 85,935,000 | $2,753 | $3,167 (Dec. 29) |
| 2024 | April 19, 2024 | 86,058,000 | $2,850 | $3,138 (Dec. 27) |
| 2025 | April 18, 2025 | 86,021,000 | $2,942 | $3,167 (Dec. 26) |
| 2026 | April 17, 2026 | 90,411,000 | $3,275 | not yet published |
Source: IRS filing season statistics, weekly data file, 2009 to current year, checked against each weekly report. *The individual deadline was postponed to July 15, 2020 (IR-2020-58) and to May 17, 2021 (IR-2021-59), so those rows use the first report after the postponed date. The IRS notes that calendar 2021 includes more than 251,000 returns from people with no filing obligation who filed to receive the advance child tax credit.
Refunds issued after the deadline week are larger on average, which lifts the full-year figure. In every year from 2022 to 2025 the calendar-year average ended $225 to $414 above the deadline-week average. In 2025, the 17,825,000 refunds issued between April 18 and December 26 averaged $4,250, moving the cumulative average from $2,942 to $3,167 (our calculation from the two reports).
The biggest week for refunds in 2026 came almost four weeks after the season opened. The PATH Act requires the IRS to hold refunds on returns claiming the earned income tax credit (EITC) or additional child tax credit (ACTC) until February 15, the IRS noted in its February reports. In the week ending February 20, 2026, cumulative refunds rose by 15,781,000, worth $77.2 billion, more than in any other week of the season (our calculation from consecutive weekly reports).
Early refunds are also the largest. The cumulative average peaked at $3,804 in the week ending February 20, when the held EITC and ACTC refunds were released, and drifted down to $3,275 by the deadline week. The 2025 season followed the same curve, and from February 20 on the 2026 average ran $323 to $360 above the matching 2025 week.
By the week ending February 27, 2026, the IRS had issued 36.8% of the refunds it reported through May 8; by March 27, 63.5%; and by April 17, 91.2% (our calculation). The deadline itself produced the second-biggest week: 12,361,000 refunds in the week ending April 17.
| Week ending (2026) | Refunds, cumulative | Refunds issued that week* | Amount refunded, cumulative | Average refund | 2025 average, same week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 6 | 7,403,000 | 7,403,000 | $16.954 billion | $2,290 | $2,065 |
| Feb. 13 | 12,957,000 | 5,554,000 | $32.084 billion | $2,476 | $2,169 |
| Feb. 20 | 28,738,000 | 15,781,000 | $109.329 billion | $3,804 | $3,453 |
| Feb. 27 | 36,506,000 | 7,768,000 | $136.597 billion | $3,742 | $3,382 |
| March 6 | 43,750,000 | 7,244,000 | $160.829 billion | $3,676 | $3,324 |
| March 13 | 50,391,000 | 6,641,000 | $182.592 billion | $3,623 | $3,271 |
| March 20 | 56,729,000 | 6,338,000 | $202.595 billion | $3,571 | $3,221 |
| March 27 | 62,957,000 | 6,228,000 | $221.697 billion | $3,521 | $3,170 |
| April 3 | 69,818,000 | 6,861,000 | $241.744 billion | $3,462 | $3,116 |
| April 10 | 78,050,000 | 8,232,000 | $265.168 billion | $3,397 | $3,055 |
| April 17 | 90,411,000 | 12,361,000 | $296.067 billion | $3,275 | $2,942 |
| April 24 | 95,743,000 | 5,332,000 | $312.882 billion | $3,268 | $2,945 |
| May 1 | 97,918,000 | 2,175,000 | $320.473 billion | $3,273 | $2,947 |
| May 8 | 99,138,000 | 1,220,000 | $324.757 billion | $3,276 | $2,939 |
Source: IRS weekly filing season reports, February 6 to May 8, 2026. *Our calculation: the change in cumulative refunds from the prior report; the first row covers January 26 to February 6.
For a complete year, use 2025. By the week ending February 28, 2025, the IRS had issued 35.5% of the 103,846,000 refunds it reported for all of calendar 2025; by the April 18 deadline week, 82.8%; by May 9, 90.1%; and by October 17, 98.3% (our calculation from those weekly reports and the December 26, 2025 report). Our IRS refund schedule for 2026 covers processing times by filing date and method.
The IRS paid 94,335,000 of the 103,846,000 refunds it issued in calendar 2025 by direct deposit, 90.8% (our calculation from the December 26, 2025 report). On the same year-end basis the share was 80.0% in 2017, passed 90% in 2022 and has stayed between 90.6% and 91.4% since. The average direct deposit refund in 2025 was $3,230.
The remaining paper checks are being phased out. Under Executive Order 14247, the IRS began phasing out paper refund checks on September 30, 2025, to the extent permitted by law, and says e-filed refunds by direct deposit usually arrive in less than 21 days against six weeks or longer by mail. The 2026 reports count 99,225,000 direct deposit refunds through May 8, more than the 99,138,000 total, because the direct deposit count covers current- and prior-year returns processed in 2026 while the total counts current-year returns only (IRS footnote). The two cannot be divided into a 2026 share.
The IRS received 144,992,000 individual income tax returns in the 2026 filing season through May 8, 2026, and 97.3% of them were e-filed (our calculation: 141,046,000 e-filed returns). Tax professionals e-filed 75,316,000 returns and taxpayers e-filed 65,730,000 themselves. Late and extension filers keep adding returns all year: calendar 2025 ended with 165,824,000 returns received by December 26, 2025.
| Measure | Period | Individual returns |
|---|---|---|
| Returns received, filing season statistics | 2026 season through May 8, 2026 | 144,992,000 |
| Returns received, filing season statistics | Calendar 2025 through Dec. 26, 2025 | 165,824,000 |
| Individual income tax returns filed, IRS Data Book Table 1-2 | Fiscal year 2025 (Oct. 1, 2024 to Sept. 30, 2025) | 162,754,810 |
| Individual returns, SOI Historic Table 2 | Tax year 2023, returns processed in calendar 2024 | 159,949,000 |
Returns are not people. The 159,949,000 tax year 2023 returns listed 293,957,500 individuals once spouses on joint returns and dependents are counted (SOI Historic Table 2). Of those returns, 106,328,020 (66.5%) asked for a refund and 43,577,930 (27.2%) owed tax at filing; the remaining 6.3% did neither, for example by applying an overpayment to next year's estimated tax (our calculation).
Three IRS sources publish an average refund, and they differ because they count different things over different periods.
| Source | Period | Average refund | Refunds counted | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filing season statistics | Calendar 2025, cumulative | $3,167 | 103,846,000 | Refunds issued on current-year returns processed during the calendar year |
| IRS Data Book, Tables 1-7 and 1-8 | Fiscal year 2025 | $3,173 (IRS footnote) | 116,872,482 | Every individual income tax refund paid in the fiscal year, including prior-year returns, examination refunds and interest |
| SOI Historic Table 2 | Tax year 2023 | $3,286 (our calculation) | 106,328,020 | The overpayment each filer asked to have refunded on Form 1040, line 35a |
The Data Book's $516.4 billion in individual income tax refunds for FY2025 includes $151.1 billion of advance premium tax credit and related Affordable Care Act payments, which the IRS excludes from its $3,173 average. That year 22,192,490 refunds included a refundable EITC ($65.2 billion) and 14,044,334 included a refundable child tax credit ($26.5 billion). Across all types of tax, the IRS issued 120,571,556 refunds worth $638.8 billion, including $16.8 billion of interest.
| Type of tax, FY2025 | Refunds issued | Amount refunded |
|---|---|---|
| Individual income tax | 116,872,482 | $516.40 billion |
| Employment taxes | 2,750,057 | $73.60 billion |
| Business income taxes | 440,100 | $36.53 billion |
| Estate and trust income tax | 372,735 | $5.46 billion |
| Excise taxes | 131,282 | $4.99 billion |
| Estate tax | 3,775 | $1.82 billion |
| Gift tax | 1,125 | -$19.8 million |
| All types | 120,571,556 | $638.79 billion |
Source: IRS Data Book FY2025, Table 1-7 (number) and Table 1-8 (amount, including interest). The negative gift tax amount reflects adjustments to prior-year accounts, per the table notes. The SOI figure is what filers asked for on the return; the other two are payments.
Texas filers had the highest average refund for tax year 2023, $3,784 across 9,654,660 refund returns, followed by Connecticut ($3,694), Louisiana ($3,687), Florida ($3,663) and Georgia ($3,582), according to our calculation from IRS SOI Historic Table 2. Maine had the lowest, $2,608, behind Vermont ($2,691), Wisconsin ($2,716), Oregon ($2,758) and Minnesota ($2,808). The US average was $3,286. Tax year 2023, covering returns processed in calendar 2024, is the latest state year SOI has published.
West Virginia had the largest share of returns asking for a refund, 74.1%, and California the largest share owing at filing, 31.8%. SOI places each return in a state by the address on it, which can differ from where the filer lives.
| State | Average refund | Rank | Returns with a refund | Share with a refund | Share that owed at filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $3,424 | 10 | 1,488,660 | 69.5% | 25.5% |
| Alaska | $3,307 | 14 | 226,830 | 65.2% | 29.3% |
| Arizona | $3,265 | 18 | 2,211,040 | 65.2% | 28.7% |
| Arkansas | $3,270 | 17 | 904,570 | 70.0% | 25.1% |
| California | $3,489 | 8 | 11,425,440 | 61.8% | 31.8% |
| Colorado | $3,009 | 35 | 1,894,060 | 61.4% | 31.0% |
| Connecticut | $3,694 | 2 | 1,189,520 | 65.3% | 28.3% |
| Delaware | $3,079 | 27 | 340,780 | 67.2% | 27.6% |
| District of Columbia | $3,386 | 11 | 219,020 | 62.8% | 31.4% |
| Florida | $3,663 | 4 | 7,445,650 | 66.4% | 27.3% |
| Georgia | $3,582 | 5 | 3,313,550 | 67.9% | 27.4% |
| Hawaii | $3,065 | 28 | 440,440 | 63.3% | 27.5% |
| Idaho | $3,056 | 29 | 570,570 | 64.5% | 28.8% |
| Illinois | $3,338 | 12 | 4,159,520 | 68.2% | 26.0% |
| Indiana | $3,053 | 32 | 2,323,310 | 71.7% | 22.0% |
| Iowa | $2,950 | 40 | 1,001,020 | 67.5% | 26.8% |
| Kansas | $3,055 | 30 | 909,240 | 66.6% | 26.5% |
| Kentucky | $2,946 | 41 | 1,417,140 | 71.5% | 23.2% |
| Louisiana | $3,687 | 3 | 1,400,170 | 72.5% | 22.6% |
| Maine | $2,608 | 51 | 468,750 | 65.8% | 26.9% |
| Maryland | $3,234 | 20 | 1,995,500 | 64.4% | 30.0% |
| Massachusetts | $3,189 | 23 | 2,293,290 | 63.8% | 29.4% |
| Michigan | $3,028 | 34 | 3,335,780 | 68.5% | 23.3% |
| Minnesota | $2,808 | 47 | 1,852,040 | 63.8% | 29.5% |
| Mississippi | $3,522 | 6 | 896,930 | 72.9% | 23.0% |
| Missouri | $2,991 | 38 | 1,955,290 | 68.1% | 25.4% |
| Montana | $2,852 | 46 | 346,400 | 62.5% | 28.5% |
| Nebraska | $2,898 | 42 | 629,910 | 66.2% | 27.7% |
| Nevada | $3,496 | 7 | 1,074,970 | 68.7% | 25.8% |
| New Hampshire | $3,001 | 36 | 488,240 | 66.7% | 27.1% |
| New Jersey | $3,332 | 13 | 2,986,250 | 64.2% | 29.4% |
| New Mexico | $2,958 | 39 | 661,100 | 67.4% | 24.7% |
| New York | $3,248 | 19 | 6,372,180 | 65.1% | 28.3% |
| North Carolina | $3,085 | 26 | 3,287,000 | 66.8% | 28.0% |
| North Dakota | $3,178 | 24 | 241,430 | 65.0% | 29.1% |
| Ohio | $2,879 | 45 | 3,986,130 | 70.2% | 24.2% |
| Oklahoma | $3,278 | 16 | 1,174,260 | 69.0% | 25.2% |
| Oregon | $2,758 | 48 | 1,293,160 | 62.5% | 30.4% |
| Pennsylvania | $2,997 | 37 | 4,390,720 | 69.7% | 23.4% |
| Rhode Island | $2,893 | 43 | 388,970 | 68.1% | 26.1% |
| South Carolina | $3,036 | 33 | 1,632,230 | 65.6% | 29.0% |
| South Dakota | $3,053 | 31 | 292,460 | 65.7% | 27.6% |
| Tennessee | $3,223 | 21 | 2,268,170 | 69.6% | 25.5% |
| Texas | $3,784 | 1 | 9,654,660 | 70.6% | 24.6% |
| Utah | $3,169 | 25 | 1,020,310 | 66.1% | 28.7% |
| Vermont | $2,691 | 50 | 218,230 | 65.1% | 26.0% |
| Virginia | $3,205 | 22 | 2,715,900 | 65.2% | 29.7% |
| Washington | $3,286 | 15 | 2,446,430 | 64.7% | 29.2% |
| West Virginia | $2,888 | 44 | 576,050 | 74.1% | 20.0% |
| Wisconsin | $2,716 | 49 | 1,962,280 | 66.6% | 26.9% |
| Wyoming | $3,429 | 9 | 187,140 | 66.3% | 26.5% |
| United States | $3,286 | 106,328,020 | 66.5% | 27.2% |
Source: IRS SOI Historic Table 2, tax year 2023 (file 23in55cmcsv.csv, fields N1, N11901, N11902 and A11902). Averages, shares and ranks are our calculation. The US row also includes Puerto Rico and "other areas," which SOI publishes as separate rows.
The higher the income, the more likely a return owes tax when it is filed. For tax year 2023, 12.2% of returns with AGI of $10,000 to $24,999 owed at filing, against 41.1% at $100,000 to $199,999 and 52.9% at $200,000 to $499,999, according to our calculation from IRS SOI Historic Table 2. The average balance due across all 43,577,930 owing returns was $6,069.
| AGI (tax year 2023) | Returns | Share with a refund | Average refund | Share that owed at filing | Average balance due |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No AGI (under $1) | 2,324,150 | 35.7% | $5,564 | 7.4% | $1,856 |
| $1 to $9,999 | 15,319,070 | 62.4% | $938 | 14.6% | $507 |
| $10,000 to $24,999 | 25,373,450 | 82.8% | $2,772 | 12.2% | $1,223 |
| $25,000 to $49,999 | 36,030,260 | 77.7% | $2,793 | 20.5% | $1,371 |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 24,178,700 | 70.9% | $2,470 | 27.5% | $2,019 |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 15,696,120 | 62.3% | $3,116 | 35.5% | $2,666 |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 27,532,250 | 55.4% | $4,162 | 41.1% | $4,293 |
| $200,000 to $499,999 | 10,930,590 | 38.4% | $8,159 | 52.9% | $11,352 |
| $500,000 to $999,999 | 1,765,090 | 22.5% | $25,204 | 56.9% | $40,248 |
| $1,000,000 or more | 799,320 | 17.0% | $137,019 | 43.7% | $189,105 |
Source: IRS SOI Historic Table 2, tax year 2023, US totals by size of AGI. Shares and averages are our calculation.
No IRS table splits refunds by Schedule C status, so there is no published average refund for the self-employed. The mechanics differ from a W-2 job: wages have income tax withheld every payday, while self-employment income has none, and its owner pays income tax and self-employment tax through quarterly estimated payments on Form 1040-ES. The IRS counted 13,315,355 Form 1040-ES filings in FY2025, up 10.3% from FY2024 (Data Book Table 1-2), and assessed 15,734,656 estimated tax penalties on individual, estate and trust returns (Table 4-2). Our self-employment statistics for 2026 and IRS penalty statistics break those groups down further.
For a freelancer, a refund near $3,276 is not a target. It means estimates, withholding and refundable credits exceeded the year's tax, and that money sat with the Treasury interest-free. A balance due means payments fell short, and a shortfall outside the IRS safe harbors draws the estimated tax penalty: per the IRS penalty page, you avoid it if you owe less than $1,000 at filing, or paid at least 90% of the current year's tax or 100% of the prior year's (110% if prior-year AGI exceeded $150,000). Size each payment with the quarterly tax calculator, file it using our Form 1040-ES guide, and check the penalty math in the estimated tax penalty guide. W-2 employees can preview next year's result with the tax refund estimator.
We downloaded the IRS filing season statistics data file and every weekly report used here from the filing season statistics by year page, and read them on November 10, 2026; values in the data file match the weekly reports. Deadline-week figures use the first weekly report after each year's individual filing deadline. Weekly refund counts are differences between consecutive cumulative reports. State and income figures come from SOI Historic Table 2 for tax year 2023 (23in55cmcsv.csv, amounts in thousands of dollars): average refund is overpayments refunded (A11902) divided by returns with overpayments refunded (N11902). Fiscal year refund totals come from IRS Data Book FY2025 Tables 1-2, 1-7, 1-8 and 4-2. Growth rates, shares, averages and ranks are our calculations.
How to cite: Jupid, "Average Tax Refund 2026: IRS Refund Statistics by Year and State," November 2026, https://jupid.com/blog/average-tax-refund-statistics-2026 (data: IRS filing season statistics, week ending May 8, 2026; IRS SOI Historic Table 2, tax year 2023).
Whether April brings a refund or a bill depends on income that arrives during the year and the tax paid on it by each quarterly due date. Jupid keeps that income visible as it lands. Connect your bank and an AI bookkeeper inside WhatsApp or iMessage auto-categorizes each transaction at 95.9% accuracy, so your books stay current between quarterly due dates instead of being rebuilt in April. Ask in chat what you earned and spent this quarter, and the answer comes from your own categorized transactions. Try Jupid.
This page is for general educational purposes and does not constitute tax, legal, or accounting advice. IRS refund statistics describe all filers in aggregate, not the outcome of any individual return. For advice on your own withholding or estimated payments, consult a qualified tax professional.
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Fintech CEO with 10+ years building accounting and financial technology products. Previously co-founded and scaled an AI-powered accounting platform to $30M revenue and 100K+ business users, achieving 30,000 customers per accountant through automation — recognized by CNBC as a top fintech company. Holds a Master's in Management Information Systems. At Jupid, he leads the development of AI-native bookkeeping, tax, and compliance tools designed for freelancers and small business owners.
RI estimated tax payments 2026: Jan 15, 2027 is the last date. The $250 rule, 80%/100% safe harbor, 3.75–5.99% rates, 12% RI-2210 interest, 2027 surtax.
Arkansas estimated tax payments 2026: last date Jan 15, 2027. The $1,000 rule, 90%/100% safe harbor, top rate cut to 3.7% in May, AR1000ES, 10% AR2210 penalty.
KY estimated tax payments 2026: Jan 15, 2027 is the last date. The $500 rule, 90%/100%/110% safe harbor, new 3.5% rate, Form 740-ES and the 9% 2210-K penalty.
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