Most taxpayers had a normal filing season in the spring of 2026. The Government Accountability Office found the IRS processed about 98% of the 177 million returns it received, the same share as in 2025, and 95% of returns were filed electronically.
The delays landed on a narrower group: people waiting for a paper refund check.
Those checks took an average of 36 days to issue as of early April 2026, up from 13 days at the same point in 2025, the report says.
The GAO ties the slowdown to the IRS’ move away from paper checks under a 2025 executive order.
What changed at the IRS
Under the order, the IRS began phasing out paper refund checks. As of early May 2026, it had sent about 4.2 million notices asking taxpayers for direct deposit information. Filers who did not respond within 30 days were due a paper check after six weeks.
Staffing fell at the same time. The IRS unit that processes returns ended the season with 8,111 employees, 18% fewer than the 9,850 a year earlier, the GAO reports.
The agency told the GAO that unavailable processing systems and reduced staffing slowed paper return processing, and that losing experienced technology staff delayed the programming needed to move a...