For the 2026 filing season, a rare mix of policy and timing is tilting toward taxpayers. Congress expanded deductions and credits for 2025, but employers spent most of the year withholding under the “old” rules. That mismatch means millions effectively overpaid all year and will now get the difference back as larger refunds. Higher standard deductions, new wage‑based write‑offs, and richer, inflation‑adjusted credits like the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit are especially powerful for middle‑income workers, families with kids, and many seniors.

How you file will determine how fast you see that money. E‑filing with direct deposit remains the only realistic way to get a refund in roughly 10–21 days, as the IRS phases out paper checks and holds some credit‑heavy refunds until mid‑February to fight fraud. Small mistakes, missing information, or identity‑verification flags can easily push your payout back weeks. Filing early, double‑checking every line, and tracking your status through “Where’s My Refund?”, IRS2Go, or an online account can mean the difference between a smooth windfall and a stressful, silent delay.