AURN News with Ebony McMorris

Tax Day Reality Check: $1,000 Refund Promise Falls Short

Ebony McMorris
April 15, 2026

Reading Time: < 1 minute

(AURN News) — According to a new report from the Center for American Progress, millions of Americans filing taxes are not getting what they were promised this tax season.

President Donald Trump, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Republican leaders in Congress repeatedly told Americans that the “big, beautiful bill” would deliver a “gigantic” tax refund increase of $1,000 or more this filing season.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

New IRS data says otherwise. As of the most recent IRS filing report, the average tax refund is up just $346. That’s well short of what the administration promised.

The Center for American Progress projects the final average refund for the entire season will be a little more than $3,200, compared with the administration’s promise of nearly $4,000.

Meanwhile, Americans are still absorbing higher prices from tariffs, rising health insurance costs and the ongoing economic impact of the war with Iran.

Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.

White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris is a native Washingtonian and University of South Carolina alumna. Her passion is mentoring young adults by teaching community empowerment and media education. She is an NAB member and board member of the Thurgood Marshall Center and was presented the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for contributing more than 4,000 hours of community service under the Obama Administration.