Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins says IRS issued most refunds without significant delay despite staffing cuts

The Internal Revenue Service performed “better than expected” in issuing tax refunds this filing season, according to a report to Congress from the agency’s independent watchdog, National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins. Collins’ report said the “vast majority of taxpayers” successfully filed their returns and received their refunds “without significant delay,” despite challenges the IRS faced while operating with reduced staffing.

The report was issued to lawmakers ahead of the next phase of oversight for tax administration and customer service, focusing on whether the IRS could maintain basic refund delivery performance during a period of change within the agency. Collins characterized the refund outcomes as broadly positive, while still leaving open the question of how any operational strain may affect other parts of tax processing.

Collins’ account emphasizes outcomes experienced by taxpayers, including that most filers did not encounter major delays getting refunds after filing. The watchdog framed the results as evidence that, despite internal constraints, the agency maintained core processing functions related to refund issuance.

The IRS’ refund performance has become a regular focus of taxpayer advocacy because refunds depend on the timely completion of return processing and review, and delays can increase uncertainty for households and small businesses that rely on refunds. Collins’ report tied the year’s outcomes to the IRS’ ability to continue processing refunds effectively during the filing season.

The watchdog also highlighted that the IRS’ broader capacity remains under scrutiny in light of job cuts. Collins’ conclusions did not dispute that the IRS faced operational difficulties, but the report’s key finding was that refund issuance broadly avoided significant disruption for most taxpayers.

As Congress reviews taxpayer service metrics and IRS capacity, Collins’ report adds to the oversight record by describing refund issuance in qualitative terms. The practical next step is continued monitoring of performance across the tax system, including whether refund timeliness remains consistent as the IRS manages staffing and processing demands.

The watchdog’s findings were reported by The Hill on June 24, 2026, based on the language of Collins’ report to Congress. Further details, including any specific measurements or subgroup findings, would be contained in the full report itself.