The average tax refund is 10.9% higher so far this season, compared to about the same point in 2025, according to early filing data from the IRS.
The 2026 tax season opened Jan. 26, and the average refund amount was $2,290 as of Feb. 6, up from $2,065 about one year prior, the IRS reported Friday night. That figure reflects current-year returns only.
Earlier on Friday, Treasury Secretary and acting IRS Commissioner Scott Bessent told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that refunds were up 22%. But it was unclear how many days of returns Bessent’s figure reflected or what comparison period he used.
The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
However, “early data can be deceiving,” Andrew Lautz, director of tax policy for the Bipartisan Policy Center, a nonprofit think tank, wrote in a tax season guide on Jan. 22.
