According to an early read of tax-filing data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the average refund amount is $3,676 — up over 10% from last tax season. So, what should you do with your tax refund this year? Here are five smart ways to put that bigger refund to good use, from building an emergency savings to investing in your long-term goals. Why are refunds larger this year? Tax law changes, such as a larger standard deduction, state and local tax (SALT) deduction increase, child tax credit, and ...