The IRS has issued 3.2 million refunds for the 2025 filing season so far. As of Jan. 31, the average refund amount was $1,928, which covers the first four days of the filing season. The agency sends most refunds in less than 21 days.

Tax season can be stressful from gathering all the required documents to finding a trusted place to file. Here are some options for filing for free.

In early February 2025, claims emerged that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk, had terminated, or planned to terminate, a program — Direct File — run by the IRS that allows (some) citizens to file individual tax returns for free:

Most taxpayers can expect to receive their refund in a matter of weeks. We’ll show you how you can check up on the status of your tax refund.

According to the Internal Revenue Service, some 140 million people are expected to file their returns by Tax Day, on April 15. When tax season officially opened for filing on Jan. 27, IRS officials said the system had already received "millions of tax returns from across the nation for processing.

Here's when the last day to file taxes is, what documents you'll need, new forms for the 2024-25 tax season and how to track your tax refund.

And if you anticipate getting a hefty refund back, it may behoove you to get that process started now so you can keep an eye on that check or direct deposit before it gets to you. Yes, individuals who file both online and in-person can use the IRS' website to track the status of their tax refund.