Shocking IRS Data: Why New Yorkers Tax Refunds Are Surging

Early data is showing that New Yorkers are getting a much bigger tax refund than last year.

Early filing data from the IRS shows the average tax refund is up nearly eleven percent.

Tax Refunds Up Nearly 11 Percent

Early IRS information for the 2026 tax season shows the average tax refund is $2,290. That's a 10.9% increase from the $2,065 average at the same point in 2025.

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If you use direct deposit, the money you're getting back is even higher. According to the IRS, the average direct deposit refund is $2,388, or a 10.3% increase from 2025.

Total refunds are up nearly 2 percent last year, despite a 5.2 percent decrease in the total number of returns received at this point. The IRS says total refunds are $16.95 billion.

Reasons For Increase

According to the IRS, the average is expected to rise even more in the coming weeks since the current figures do not include millions of Earned Income Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit refunds.

Tax cuts included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including a larger standard deduction, an enhanced Child Tax Credit, and no taxes on tips or overtime, are boosting refunds for millions of taxpayers this year, officials say.

However, experts from the Bipartisan Policy Center say this early data might be "deceiving" because figures often fluctuate before the mid-February release of Earned Income Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit refunds.

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