According to the IRS, tax refunds are larger in the fourth week of filing than they were last year at this time.
The average tax refund increased $40—up 1.3 percent compared to last year at this time. The latest numbers include refunds that include the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit, both of which generally increase the size of refunds.
The number of refunds processed is down 4.8 percent from last year.