Tax season so far: Refunds on the rise

With the first month of tax season coming to a close, data from the Internal Revenue Service suggest that taxpayers are looking for more help, even as they’re getting more money back than last year.

To start, the size of the average refund is up significantly, at $2,746 as of Feb. 13, the latest figure available. That’s more than $300 above the average refund from the same time a year ago, as predicted by IRS and Treasury officials, who said the decision not to change the tax withholding tables this year and the passage of the tax cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act would mean more money coming back to taxpayers.

Some of the provisions of the OBBBA are still awaiting complete guidance from the IRS and the Treasury; others, such as those reducing the taxation of tips and overtime, are complicated. That may help explain why visits to IRS.gov have skyrocketed to 176 million, up more than 50 million from the same time last year.

On the other hand, the number of taxpayers opting to prepare their own taxes remains roughly the same as last year, at approximately 19 million, while the number of returns prepared by professionals is actually down somewhat, at 12.7 million, compared to 13.4 million at the same time last year.

Highlights of the most recent filing season statistics are below as of Feb. 6, 2026, and Feb. 13, 2025; the year-on-year dates for each are Feb. 7, 2025, and Feb. 14, 2025.