Bigger Refunds, Slower Filing: Tax Season Update

0:00It's March 30th. This is Dallas News today, AI-powered stories from your city. I'm Cory with the story. Average tax refunds are climbing this filing season, hitting $3,571 through mid-March, up nearly 11% from last year's $3,221 at the same point. Total refunds have surged two, topping $202 billion, a 12.9% jump from $179 billion. That's real money flowing back to folks as the April 15th deadline nears. Filing's moving a bit slower overall, with 78.9 million returns received so far, down 0.9% from last year. More people are handling their own taxes though. Self-prepared returns are up 1.9% to 37.8 million, while pros have eFile 39.7 million, a 1% drop. Direct deposits are booming, up 6.5% to 57.3 million, with the average at $3,561.

1:04Dollars and totals near $204 billion. The IRS is ditching paper checks for most, pushing prepaid cards or digital options instead. Meanwhile, vizis.rs.gov exploded 55.6% to over $380 million, likely thanks to new tax law tweaks. Those changes from last year's big bill include deductions for tips and overtime pay, bigger breaks for seniors, auto loan interest write-offs, and Trump accounts, government-seeded savings for newborns and kids. Scammers are out there too, so stay sharp with any calls or emails, claiming to be from the IRS. With the deadline just days away, extensions are an option if you pay what you owe upfront plenty of time to cash in on these bigger refunds before. The rush hits.