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Wednesday marks Tax Day, the deadline for most Americans to file their taxes. The Trump administration has highlighted that millions have already taken advantage of recent tax breaks, which include no taxes on tips and overtime, exemptions on interest for specific car loans, deductions for seniors, and the introduction of ‘Trump Accounts’ for children’s savings.
A Treasury official revealed that over 53 million taxpayers have utilized these provisions from the Republicans’ substantial tax and spending legislation. Of these, 6 million claimed the tax exemption on tips, 21 million took advantage of the overtime deduction, and 30 million senior citizens benefited from the enhanced deduction.
This official, who requested anonymity to discuss the figures, stated that the administration views the 2026 tax filing season as successful.
Despite these developments, recent polls show that the majority of Americans—about 70%—believe their taxes remain too high. This sentiment persists even after the enactment of the Republican tax law, which promised significant savings for taxpayers.
When tax season began in January, the White House predicted that average refunds would increase by at least $1,000. Currently, the average refund stands at $3,462, based on the latest IRS data. This figure represents an 11% increase, or approximately $350 more, compared to last year’s average refund of $3,116.
Treasury has shifted its messaging to tout that tax refunds this season are up 24% compared with the four-year average of refunds before President Donald Trump took office.
The White House has been trying to promote Trump’s tax cuts as a way to get voters more enthusiastic about the way he’s handling the economy ahead of November’s midterm elections, but the message has been overshadowed for weeks by higher gas prices caused by the war in Iran.
The 2026 season comes as the IRS has gone through a leadership turnover and reduced its workforce by 27% over the past year through cuts brought on by the Department of Government Efficiency.
IRS CEO Frank Bisignano is set to testify in front of the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday.
In his public testimony to lawmakers, Bisignano planned to tout the IRS’ implementation of the Republican tax law.
However, Democratic lawmakers zeroed in on IRS disclosures of confidential taxpayer information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of an agreement between ICE and the Department of Homeland Security to share information for the purpose of identifying and deporting people illegally in the U.S.