Did Trump's Tax Cuts Impact Your 2025 Refund?

Today marks the end of the first tax filing season since President Donald Trump's "Working Families Tax Cuts" passed in July 2025. How did the cuts play out for Americans?

Average Refund Amount: According to Fox News (Right bias), the average tax refund rose above $3,400, about 11% higher than last year's average. Fox reported that the 53 million filers who used at least one of the bill's new provisions saw an average tax cut of around $800. The outlet also included a statement from Trump-appointed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who said, "Under President Trump, we uphold the foundational principle that hardworking Americans should be rewarded, not punished with tax hikes."

Did Trump Keep His Promise? New York Times (Lean Left) noted that while the average tax refund grew by about $350 up from last year, the increase is "well below" the $1,000 growth "Mr. Trump initially promised." The outlet noted that the tax relief likely reduced what people owe when they more than it affected refunds themselves, and that it is "always difficult to wring much political reward out of a tax cut." 

Loss of Revue from Immigrant Filers: Washington Post (Lean Left) highlighted the decrease in undocumented immigrants filing taxes, which the outlet alleged "could cost the government billions of dollars in unpaid taxes." This decrease, the outlet claimed, could be due to the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) recent shift that allowed the agency to share personal information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which "stoked fear and distrust" in undocumented immigrants who might normally file taxes. The Post reported that undocumented immigrants typically contribute about $97.7 billion in local, state, federal, and social insurance taxes each year.

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