Tim’s Tax News on the Tenth – April 2026

The Internal Revenue Service recently announced that it is seeing the 2026 filing season have a rise in tax refunds. With the April 15^th deadline approaching, the IRS stated that there is a smooth pace at which taxpayers are getting their refunds, with the high use of electronic filing.

Highlights from the 2026 filing season, through March 20, 2026:

• Over 80 percent of refunds were issued in less than 21 days with an average refund amount of $3,571. 
• Over 98 percent of tax refunds have been issued electronically via direct deposit, out of a total of 57 million refunds issued.
• Over 98 percent of returns were filed electronically, out of a total of more than 78 million individual federal income tax returns.
• The average refund is up by more than 10 percent, with total refunds now at more than $202 billion.

The IRS encourages all taxpayers who are expecting a refund to include banking information when they file. Taxpayers who did not provide valid bank information when they filed can use online tools on IRS.gov to provide the necessary information to get their refund faster.

Only about one percent of taxpayers received a CP53E notice informing them that their banking information on the return is missing or invalid. Taxpayers do not have to wait to receive the notice to act. They can check the “Where’s My Refund?” tool for next steps, and if this situation applies to them, they can use their “IRS Individual Online Account” to resolve the issue quickly by providing accurate banking information or the reason they cannot. Once updated, the IRS will issue their refund, usually within seven days. For security purposes, IRS employees cannot update bank account information over the phone or in person.

Taxpayers who receive a CP53E notice generally have 30 days from the date on the notice to act. If a taxpayer does not act within the 30-day window, the IRS will issue a paper check six weeks after the date the notice was issued. 

Direct deposit remains the fastest and most secure way to receive a refund, helping reduce the risk of lost or stolen payments. Across government, paper instruments (e.g., checks and money orders) are far more likely than electronic payments to be lost, stolen, altered, or delayed.

If you would like more details, please do not hesitate to call our office. Our office has been successful in helping taxpayers with IRS and IDOR collection problems for over 32 years. If you have a tax or debt problem, please contact me at 847-705-9698 or thughes@lavellelaw.com and find out how we can help you.

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