More than 53 million tax filers used at least one of the new tax breaks created under Republicans’ latest tax-and-spending law, but most Americans still believe their taxes are too high. The story highlights a political tension at the center of President Donald Trump’s economic message: even when many households receive new deductions or larger refunds, that does not automatically translate into a feeling that the tax burden has become fair or light.
The administration says the new law has already reached tens of millions of people. A Treasury official told that more than 53 million filers claimed at least one of the new provisions during the 2026 filing season. Those included about 6 million people claiming no tax on tips, 21 million using the overtime deduction, and 30 million older Americans taking an enhanced deduction for seniors. The law also includes exemptions for interest on certain car loans and “Trump Accounts” designed as children’s savings accounts. Treasury described the filing season as a success from the administration’s point of view.
Even so, public sentiment remains stubbornly negative. 7 in 10 Americans still say their taxes are too high, despite the passage of a law that Republicans promoted as a major source of tax relief. That disconnect suggests that tax politics are driven not only by the size of deductions on paper, but also by broader feelings about affordability, government performance, and whether households feel financially secure overall.
The White House initially promoted the filing season by saying average returns were projected to rise by at least $1,000. The latest IRS data shows the average refund amount currently stands at $3,462, up 11% from last year’s average of $3,116, an increase of about $350. Treasury has also shifted its messaging to note that refunds this season are up 24% compared with the four-year average before Trump returned to office. Those are real gains, but they still appear to fall short of changing the broader public mood on taxes.
Part of the reason may be timing and context. The White House has been trying to use the tax cuts to build enthusiasm for Trump’s economic management ahead of the November midterm elections, but that message has been overshadowed for weeks by higher gasoline prices linked to the war in Iran. In other words, even when taxpayers receive some relief, rising everyday costs can overwhelm the political benefit.
2026 filing season has unfolded during a period of disruption inside the IRS. The agency has gone through leadership turnover and has reduced its workforce by 27% over the past year because of cuts tied to the Department of Government Efficiency. IRS Chief Executive Frank Bisignano was scheduled to testify before the Senate Finance Committee, where he planned to emphasize the IRS’ implementation of the Republican tax law. But Democrats were preparing to focus instead on IRS disclosures of confidential taxpayer information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement under an information-sharing agreement with the Department of Homeland Security.
Overall, the story shows that a tax cut can be politically less powerful than its designers expect. Millions of Americans may be benefiting from new deductions, but most still feel overtaxed, and the administration’s effort to turn tax policy into a clear economic win is being complicated by inflation pressures, institutional turmoil, and voter skepticism.
