Where’s My Tax Refund? Most Americans Are Dependent on Them in 2026
Nearly half of American taxpayers rely on IRS refunds to help them pay bills or get out of debt, a new survey finds.
This is a good year for returns. The IRS has refunded $161 billion to individual taxpayers through March 6. That’s 11% more than the agency was reimbursed for the same week in 2025. The average refund is $3,676, also up from last year.
Returns are higher this year, and taxes are lower, thanks to President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to an analysis from the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.
Most Americans will count their tax return as the largest paycheck they deposit in 2026.
“People don’t get big checks in the mail all the time,” said Matt Schulz, senior consumer finance analyst at LendingTree.
And, judging by LendingTree’s March 16 survey, many of us have already used money on our minds.
Of the more than 1,500 tax filers surveyed, 46% said they were hoping for a refund in 2026. In three previous surveys, smaller shares of taxpayers said they relied on money from the IRS.
Taxpayers Count on IRS Refunds in a Shaking Economy
The refund comes at a critical time for American consumers. The stock market is down. Fuel prices are skyrocketing. The job market appears to be tightening.
“It’s a reality of 2026 that most people need a little help to make ends meet,” said Schulz.
But some Americans may be overly optimistic about their chances of getting a refund. In a LendingTree survey, conducted in early February, nearly 9 out of 10 filers said they expect to receive it. Research is done before most taxpayers file their forms.
In fact, less than two-thirds of taxpayers receive a refund, according to IRS data for 2025.
Certain demographic groups are more likely to bank on refunds than others:
- 63% of parents with children under 18 rely on reimbursement, compared to 32% of parents with older children.
- 58% of millennials rely on cashback, but only 45% of Gen Xers.
- 48% of men rely on reimbursement, compared to 44% of women.
Nearly two-thirds of taxpayers said the tax refund was important to their “overall financial situation,” the survey found. One in three said they rely on it.
Here’s How Taxpayers Plan to Use Their Refunds
Rising prices have been a constant theme for consumers over the past five years. It’s no surprise then that many taxpayers plan to use any tax refund to pay for everyday expenses. Here’s how people plan to spend their checks:
- Pay daily expenses (34%)
- Pay off debt (34%)
- Put it in a savings account/emergency fund (32%)
- Save for big purchases (19%)
- “Buy something I wanted” (18%)
- Invest in retirement savings (15%)
- Help support family members (13%)
- Take a vacation (13%)
- Invest in stocks (11%)
- Donate to the poor (8%)
Where’s My Refund?
If you’re waiting for a refund, you can track its progress at Where’s my refund? page on the IRS website. Your refund status should be available within 24 hours of filing your 2025 return electronically, the tax agency said. If you file a paper return, wait four weeks.
Your refund will take longer to arrive if you submit a paper return. The normal wait, according to the IRS, is three weeks after filing, six weeks (or more) after the agency receives the return in the mail.
Another tip: You’ll get your refund much faster if you get it by direct deposit.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where’s my tax return? Many Americans are counting on them in 2026.
Reporting by Daniel de Visé, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
