A recent Tax Policy Center blog post takes a look at early tax filing data from the IRS, which show that fewer tax returns were filed early on in the tax season this year and that average refunds have dropped. As of February 3rd, only 20 million returns were filed in contrast to 27 million the previous year. Elaine Maag, the post’s author, notes that the decrease could point to filing delays by individuals who claim the EITC and ACTC, as these individuals typically file early and qualify for substantial refunds. The refund delay mandated by the PATH Act of 2015, she writes, may have acted as discouragement to early tax filing.
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