The deadline to file taxes in the United States has arrived, and the government says millions of people have already taken advantage of new exemptions, such as not paying for tips and overtime, interest on auto loans, deductions for seniors and savings accounts for children.
More than 53 million taxpayers claimed a deduction under one of those provisions of the massive Republican tax and spending bill, a Treasury official told reporters Tuesday before the deadline; 6 million people claimed the tip tax exemption, 21 million claimed the overtime deduction, and 30 million older Americans claimed the expanded deduction.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide figures, said the 2026 filing season was a success from the government’s perspective.
Still, the latest data comes as 70% of Americans still believe their taxes are too high, according to recent polls, despite the passage of the Republican tax law that promised big savings for taxpayers.
The White House boasted when tax season began in January that average refunds were projected to increase by at least $1,000. But currently, the average refund amount is $3,462, according to the most recent data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which represents an increase of 11% — or about $350 — from last tax year’s average refund of $3,116.
The Treasury has changed its messaging to highlight that this season’s refunds are up 24% compared to the four-year average of refunds before President Donald Trump took office.
excite voters
The White House has tried to promote the tax cuts as a way to get voters excited about how it is handling the economy ahead of November’s midterm elections, but the message has been overshadowed for weeks by rising gas prices caused by the war in Iran.
The 2026 season comes as the IRS has undergone a leadership turnover and reduced its staff by 27% over the past year through cuts driven by the Department of Government Efficiency.
IRS CEO Frank Bisignano is scheduled to testify before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday.
In his public testimony before lawmakers, Bisignano plans to highlight the IRS’s implementation of the Republican tax law.
However, Democratic lawmakers focused on IRS revelations about the disclosure of confidential taxpayer information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as part of an agreement between ICE and the Department of Homeland Security to share information for the purpose of identifying and deporting people who are in the United States illegally.
