Tax refund 2023: Americans face refund “disappointment” and surprise balance-due bills

Individuals are getting a double-dose of unhealthy information this tax season: Tens of millions of individuals due for tax refunds this 12 months are sometimes getting much less a reimbursement, whereas the share of taxpayers who owe the IRS is rising. 

The most important points this 12 months are “refund disappointment and a balance-due shock,” Mark Steber, chief tax data officer at Jackson Hewitt, informed CBS MoneyWatch. 

The everyday refund for the 2022 tax 12 months — with tax returns due by April 18 — is $2,878 by way of April 7, a decline of 9.3% in contrast with the identical year-ago interval, in keeping with the newest tax knowledge obtainable from the IRS. 

In the meantime, about 43% of Individuals stated they count on to owe cash on their federal tax returns this 12 months, up three share factors from the earlier tax 12 months, in keeping with a survey of greater than 2,200 members by CivicScience. 

What’s modified this tax season

The primary causes for the decline: the expiration of presidency pandemic tax advantages, resembling stimulus checks, the expanded Youngster Tax Care (CTC) credit score and different beneficiant tax rebates. Meaning many Individuals are getting smaller refunds, or might be caught owing the IRS, at a time inflation continues to pressure family budgets.

“The stuff put into place within the prior years for the pandemic — the CTC, dependent credit score, earned revenue tax credit score if you happen to’re single, and different advantages — they actually juiced up the tax credit final 12 months,” Steber stated. “Now that is reverted.”

He added, “Lots of people used final 12 months as a roadmap for what they need to count on. Any deviation from that’s positive to disappoint.”

To make certain, thousands and thousands of Individuals have but to file their taxes. The IRS stated it expects about 168 million tax returns to be filed this 12 months for the 2022 tax 12 months; as of April 7, the company stated it has acquired about 101 million filings. 

Many taxpayers wait till the final minute to file their returns, whereas thousands and thousands request an a submitting extension annually. The latter provides taxpayers an additional six months to file their return, though the extension would not give folks extra time to pay the IRS if they’re on the hook for unpaid taxes.

“Final 12 months was form of a increase 12 months,” Steber famous. “This 12 months is form of a standard 12 months, and that is a reducing of satisfaction when in comparison with expectations. We have defined to our purchasers, it is actually extra a normalization — do not be shocked.”

—With reporting by CBS Information’ Irina Ivanova.

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