According to the IRS, as of April 19th, the agency had issued over 95 million tax refunds worth more than $260 billion. The average refund so far through mid-April is $2,863, slightly less than the average refund from last year.
The majority of taxpayers getting a refund are doing so through direct deposit, which accounts for almost 88% of refunds so far this year. The IRS had received 137 million tax returns by mid-April, of which more than 126 million were filed electronically. The IRS also noted that more taxpayers are visiting its website, IRS.gov, in order to get tax help and information.
The IRS site allows taxpayers to check the status of a refund, access transcripts of their tax returns, request electronic filing of Personal Identification Numbers, find answers to tax law questions, and check the status of amended returns. Usage of the tool to check the status of a refund “Where’s My Refund?” was the most visited U.S. government website at the end of March.
Source: IRS, www.irs.gov/Refunds, www.analytics.usa.gov/