As tax season unfolds, millions of taxpayers eagerly await their refund checks. However, not everyone will receive the full amount they expect.

In Michigan, 153 probationary IRS employees represented by the union have lost their jobs so far, according to the National Treasury Employees Union. The job cuts hit during this year's tax season.

Despite the similar-sounding names, returns and refunds are hugely different, yet hugely important aspects of the tax filing season. Your return is what you file with the IRS list

According to the IRS, the agency has received about 42.7 million tax returns and processed roughly 42.3 million as of Feb. 21. Now, it appears that the IRS might be planning anoth

Since the start of tax season, the IRS has issued more than $100 billion in tax refunds to Americans, with the average refund amount rising compared to 2024.

Through Feb. 21, the latest date currently available on the IRS website, the agency has issued 29,615,000 refunds, roughly 2.3% more than the 28,945,000 that had been issued by this time last year. The average refund amount through Feb. 21 was $3,453, roughly 7.5% higher than the average refund of $3,213 at that time last year.

The IRS has already returned more than $100 billion to US taxpayers. The average amount of money returned to individuals has increased as well.

As tax season unfolds in 2025, taxpayers are experiencing unexpected delays in their refunds. With 7.7% fewer returns received by the IRS, several factors are contributing to this slowdown.