Tax season 2025 is in full swing and filers have already started receiving their refunds from the IRS. Just four weeks in, more than $102 billion has already been paid out to taxpayers who submitted their returns early in the filing window, according to the latest official IRS statistics.
The closing date to file income taxes is still some weeks away, but the Internal Revenue Service is urging anyone who’s dragging their feet not to feel complacent and submit as soon as possible. One of the reasons for this is to get your refund paid out so you can start working with your money, but the other is to allow time to resolve any complications that arise.
The IRS has paid out $102 billion in tax refunds in 2025
As of March 3, 2025, the Internal Revenue Service had received 42 million income tax returns in the four weeks since tax season opened on January 27. Of those, almost 30 million tax filers have been issued refunds. These amount to $102 billion so far. All of these figures are expected to rise as the filing season isn’t even halfway over yet.
Data shows that the average refund this year, which is $3,543, is higher than the average of $3,213 in 2024 by around 7.5%. The IRS released statistics for the fourth week of tax season last year (ending February 23, 2024) compared with the third week of 2025 (ending February 21, 2025).
Data for the 3rd week of tax season
So far, the Internal Revenue Service has processed 42.7 million federal income tax returns, a number down 3.8% from 44.6 million last year. 29.6 million refunds have been finalized, a 2.3% increase from the 28.9 million refunds distributed by this time last season. This means that more people are submitting later this year, and some have been delayed by the PATH Act.
However, the amount paid out to date this year is more at $102 billion compared to $93 billion in 2024. This shows that the tax refund amounts are getting higher.
The IRS also issued a breakdown of how taxpayers are choosing to file their income tax returns: 41.9 million filed electronically, with 23.6 million self-prepared by taxpayers and 18.3 million submitted by tax professionals.
Figures are expected to even out as more people submit
The IRS says that differences in filing statistics are normal at the start of the tax season. The numbers will even out as more taxpayers get their documents in order to file in the next few weeks and will start to approximate to last year’s figures more closely as the filing deadline approaches.
The closing date to submit tax returns is April 15, but it’s highly advisable to get it done long before the deadline in case complications arise.
All statistics from the IRS to date – February 16, 2024, to February 14, 2025
Here are the exact statistics released by the Internal Revenue Service comparing this period to last year:
| Return/Refund category | 2024 | 2025 | Difference |
| Total returns received | 34,743,000 | 33,040,000 | -4.9% |
| Total returns processed | 34,546,000 | 32,820,000 | -5.0% |
| Total e-filing returns received | 34,071,000 | 32,400,000 | -4.9% |
| E-filing returns received – professionals | 14,138,000 | 13,413,000 | -5.1% |
| E-filing returns – self-prepared | 19,933,000 | 18,987,000 | -4.7% |
| Web usage – IRS.gov visits | 231,436,000 | 124,289,000 | -46.3% |
| Total refunds | 20,883,000 | 13,657,000 | -34.6% |
| Average refund | $3,207 | $2,169 | -32.4% |
| Total number of direct deposit refunds | 20,574,000 | 13,515,000 | -34.3% |
| Average direct deposit refund | $3,265 | $2,252 | -31.0% |
It’s important to note that the PATH Act has an impact on the paying out of tax credits. The IRS is prevented from issuing refunds to filers claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) before the middle of February.
This measure is in place to minimize tax fraud, and although it may be frustrating for taxpayers who filed early in the hope of receiving their credits quicker, it’s for a good reason.
In more news about the Child Tax Credit, there was talk recently of the credit amount being expanded to $3,600 per child as it was in 2021 and claimants need to be aware of the current situation. You can find the correct information on the CTC here.
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