IRS Refunds Surge $43 Billion After Trump Tax Law, Average Payment Rises $333

IRS Refunds Surge $43 Billion After Trump Tax Law, Average Payment Rises $333

The IRS issued $296 billion in refunds during the 2026 filing season — 17% more than a year earlier — as taxpayers claimed new deductions under President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, even as staffing and technology problems produced lengthy delays for paper filers.

GAO finds tax refunds surged 17% after Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill took effect

American taxpayers collected $296 billion in refunds during the 2026 filing season, a $43 billion jump driven largely by new deductions President Trump signed into law, though the IRS stumbled badly on paper processing and staffing along the way. The Government Accountability Office released a report documenting the sharp increase, which amounted to a 17%...