IRS Reports Decline in Early Tax Filings and Refunds for 2024 Season

The IRS has observed a decrease in both the number of early tax filings and the average refund amount for the 2024 tax season, attributing the trend to a later start date and anticipation of new tax legislation.

The IRS received 54,030,000 individual income tax returns as of March 1, 2024, marking a 1.7% decline from the previous year.
Taxpayers are likely delaying their filings in anticipation of the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, which is currently stalled in the Senate.
Despite the decrease in filings, the average tax refund has increased to $3,182 per taxpayer, up 5.1% from the previous year.
The IRS has processed fewer returns and issued 13.7% fewer refunds compared to the same period in 2023.
Web visits to IRS.gov have surged by 16.4%, indicating high taxpayer engagement with the agency's online resources.

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