Life News
US tax refunds are up about 11% this year, but short of the promised extra $1,000
Americans are receiving larger tax refunds this year. Fox Business reported on 30 March that, according to IRS data up to 20 March, the average refund is $3,571, up $350 or 10.9% from $3,221 at the same point last year. More than $202 billion has been refunded, up 12.9%, across just over 56.7 million refunds. Returns received are down slightly, by 0.9%, to nearly 78.9 million. Visits to IRS.gov rose 55.6% to more than 380 million.
CPA Practice Advisor, using data to 13 March, put the average at $3,623, up 10.8% or about $352 per filer. It linked the increase to tax changes for the 2025 tax year, including a larger child tax credit, higher standard deductions and new deductions for tips and overtime pay.
“Americans should expect an additional $1,000 in their tax refunds.” — Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, via CPA Practice Advisor
How each outlet framed it
- Fox Business — the full set of IRS filing statistics, noting that changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act “may have contributed” to the jump in website traffic.
- CPA Practice Advisor — a reality check: the actual increase of about $352 falls short of the White House's December forecast.
Where the numbers differ: The two averages differ because they use IRS figures from different weeks: $3,623 to 13 March and $3,571 to 20 March. Averages often move as the season goes on and different kinds of filers send in returns.
What we don't know yet: The filing deadline is 15 April, so the final average for the season is not yet known.