When will I get my tax refund from the IRS?
by Jeremy Tanner - 01/30/26 8:00 AM ET
(NEXSTAR) – After months of Trump administration officials forecasting “very large refunds” in the 2026 filing season, early taxpayers may be wondering when that money will hit their accounts.
The average refund last year was $3,167. This year, analysts have projected it could be $1,000 higher, thanks to changes in tax law. More than 165 million individual income tax returns were processed last year, with 94% submitted electronically.
People with straightforward returns should not encounter delays, but because of an exodus of IRS workers since the start of the Trump administration, the national taxpayer advocate has cautioned that the 2026 tax filing season is likely to present challenges for those who run into problems filing.
Why ‘very large’ tax refunds are coming in 2026, according to officials
“Among the reasons the 2025 filing season went well was that the IRS had its largest workforce in many years and faced no major tax law changes that required implementation during the filing season,” National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins explained. “Entering 2026, the landscape is markedly different. The IRS is simultaneously confronting a reduction of 27% of its workforce, leadership turnover, and the implementation of extensive and complex tax law changes mandated by the [One Big Beautiful Bill] Act, many of which apply retroactively and require significant IRS programming, guidance, changes to tax forms and instructions, and taxpayer education.”
In 2025, the IRS processed over 165 million individual tax returns, according to Collins, with customer service representatives – a team that has been “substantially” reduced – handling more than 100 million telephone calls.
When to expect a refundIf you file electronically, the IRS says it should take 21 days or less to receive your refund. If you choose direct deposit, it should take even less time.
“If at all possible, file electronically, and request that you receive your refund by direct deposit,” tax attorney Adam Brewer told Nexstar. “I know no one really loves to give their banking information to the IRS or to the state, but if you want your refund quickly, you have to give them the direct deposit information.”
more
https://thehill.com/homenews/5713861-when-will-i-get-my-tax-refund-from-the-irs/
