Industry Newstax policyirsai audits
IRS Reports Higher Refunds Amid Filing Slowdown
7.3
The IRS reported through Feb. 20, 2026 that 41.9 million individual returns have been filed, 1.9% fewer than the same point in 2025, while average refunds rose 10.2% to $3,804. The increase stems from OBBBA changes—including a temporary $6,000 deduction for taxpayers 65 and older—while staffing cuts, processing backlogs, and planned AI-driven modernization prompt warnings to double-check filings.
Key Points
- 1Reports show 41.9 million returns filed, 1.9% fewer, average refund $3,804 (up 10.2%).
- 2Attributes refund increase to OBBBA changes like higher standard deduction, raised SALT cap, and $6,000 senior deduction.
- 3Warns taxpayers to double-check filings amid IRS staffing cuts, processing delays, and expanded AI-driven audits.
Scoring Rationale
Timely IRS statistics and policy updates drive impact, limited by low technical/ML relevance for data scientists.
Sources
Public references used for this report.
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