IRS Website Crash Adds Stress As Tax Refunds Surge

It was a classic tax season scramble—only this time, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website went dark at the worst possible moment. On February 18, 2026, tens of thousands of anxious taxpayers found themselves locked out of the IRS’s online portal, greeted instead by a blunt “down for maintenance” message. With no timeline for restoration, frustration spilled over onto Downdetector, where more than 300 outage reports piled up by noon, and social media platforms, where users vented their disbelief. One person on X summed up the collective anxiety: “IRS site maintenance while my refund vanishes? Sketchy.” Another quipped, “They crashed it lol.” This digital hiccup couldn’t have come at a busier time. The 2026 tax filing season had officially opened on January 26, and the IRS was already bracing for a tidal wave of 164 million returns—an all-time high. According to NewsNation, by February 6, the IRS had received about 22.3 million returns, just 14% of the expected total for the year. While that number was down 5% from the same period a year earlier, anticipation remained high, especially as the average refund was already up 10.9% compared to 2025, clocking in at $2,290 versus $2,065. The agency had issued more than 7.4 million refunds by early February, though that figure was down 8.1% from last year’s 8.1 million at the same point. Why the sudden spike in refund amounts? Much of it can be traced to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a sweeping tax reform package signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2025. The law introduced more than 100 changes to the tax code, including a higher standard deduction, an enhanced Child Tax Credit, and a new senior deduction. According to Principal Asset Management, these changes could push the average refund up by nearly $700 to $3,800 per filer in 2026. The Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee projected that some filers could see their refunds boosted by as much as $1,000, especially middle- and higher-income households. Lower-income households, on the other hand, might see more modest gains—less than $100 in some cases—since they already pay little or no federal income tax. President Trump himself has been eager to tout these numbers. On February 17, he declared on Truth Social that refunds were “substantially greater than ever before,” adding that in some cases, “over 20% will be returned to the Taxpayer.” The Bipartisan Policy Center, meanwhile, noted that the legislation could generate billions in retroactive tax relief, with some of the benefit channeled through refunds and the rest offsetting tax liabilities. But as the IRS’s digital doors slammed shut, many taxpayers were left wondering: Where’s my refund? For the roughly 90 million Americans—three-quarters of all filers—who count on a refund each year, the answer depends on how and when they file. The IRS estimates that most electronic filers who opt for direct deposit will see their refunds within 21 days. For those who still file on paper, the wait can stretch to six or even eight weeks. Claimants of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) face even longer delays, as their returns undergo mandatory reviews and the IRS is barred from issuing those refunds until after February 15. So, what’s a taxpayer to do when the main website is down? The IRS recommends several workarounds. The IRS2Go mobile app—available for both iOS and Android—offers refund tracking that sidesteps browser issues. Taxpayers can also call the automated hotline at 800-829-1954, or create an account at irs.gov/account, though ID.me verification is required. The “Where’s My Refund?” tool, when operational, gives real-time updates—typically showing one of three statuses: “Return Received,” “Refund Approved,” or “Refund Sent.” Statuses refresh daily overnight, but agents on live calls can’t speed up processing unless the system flags a specific issue. Delays can happen for all sorts of reasons, not just website outages. According to the IRS, the most common culprits include errors or incomplete information on the return, identity theft or fraud, the need to correct child tax credit or recovery rebate credit amounts, and claims involving the EITC or ACTC. Even after the IRS sends a refund, the time it takes for a bank or credit union to post the funds can add days to the wait. Despite the headaches, the agency continues to encourage electronic filing and direct deposit as the fastest path to a refund. As NewsNation reported, more than 90% of taxpayers are expected to file electronically this year, a trend that has only accelerated as the IRS phases out paper checks. For most, e-filing and direct deposit can sidestep the worst of the delays—provided all the information is accurate and complete. The deadline to file federal tax returns is April 15, 2026, a date that also applies to New York state taxpayers. For those living outside the U.S. and Puerto Rico, there’s an automatic two-month extension to June 15. If you need more time, you can request a six-month extension by filing Form 4868, pushing your deadline to October 15. But don’t be fooled: any taxes owed must still be paid by April 15 to avoid penalties and rapidly accumulating interest. As the IRS and New York’s Department of Taxation both stress, extensions only buy you time to file—not to pay. With all the talk of bigger refunds, some Americans are also wondering if a new round of stimulus checks is in the pipeline. The short answer: not yet. While President Trump has floated the idea of $2,000 rebate-style payments funded by tariff revenue, and lawmakers have introduced proposals like the American Worker Rebate Act of 2025, nothing has been approved. As of February 18, 2026, there are no scheduled stimulus checks for the year. For any such payments to materialize, Congress would need to pass new legislation—a process that has proven anything but swift in recent years. In the meantime, tax season marches on. The IRS began processing returns in late January, and by all accounts, the majority of filers will see their refunds arrive within three weeks if they file electronically and choose direct deposit. For everyone else—especially those caught up in the recent website outage or dealing with complex returns—the wait might be a little longer. But with average refunds on the rise and the possibility of even larger payments as the season progresses, there’s still plenty of reason for taxpayers to keep a close eye on their refund status—and maybe, just maybe, to double-check that all their paperwork is in order before hitting submit. As the April 15 deadline draws closer, the best advice remains the simplest: file early, file electronically, and check your refund status using every tool at your disposal. And if you run into trouble, patience—and a bit of persistence—will go a long way.