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Which states’ taxpayers get the most in refunds

Tax season can provoke dread, or it can bring joy. Between Jan. 1 and mid-April, individuals pull together their finances from the previous year and submit them as a tax return to the government.

Tax returns show the tax you must pay to the government and how much you’ve already paid. If you owe more than you’ve paid, you must pay the government the difference.

However, the government will refund the difference if you’ve overpaid your tax obligation. In the U.S., 74% of all tax filings received a refund in 2020, averaging about $3,085 each. While many people look forward to receiving this lump sum every year, a refund is essentially money a taxpayer loaned to the government interest-free.

Stacker examined tax return data from the Internal Revenue Service to see which states’ taxpayers received the highest average refunds in 2020, the latest data available. The share of filers who received a refund has also been included. Individual income tax returns filed between January and December 2021 were used in this analysis—not included are filers who opted to put their refund toward the following year’s tax payments.

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#51. Maine

– Average refund amount: $2,607
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 75.1%

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#50. Oregon

– Average refund amount: $2,684
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 70.9%

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#49. Wisconsin

– Average refund amount: $2,698
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 75.0%

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#48. Vermont

– Average refund amount: $2,711
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 74.7%

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#47. Montana

– Average refund amount: $2,719
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 70.5%

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#46. Minnesota

– Average refund amount: $2,738
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 71.7%

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#45. Ohio

– Average refund amount: $2,789
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 77.6%

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#44. Iowa

– Average refund amount: $2,838
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 75.4%

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#43. Nebraska

– Average refund amount: $2,840
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 74.6%

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#42. Idaho

– Average refund amount: $2,854
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 72.2%

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#41. New Hampshire

– Average refund amount: $2,863
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 74.8%

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#40. Rhode Island

– Average refund amount: $2,866
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 76.4%

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#39. Hawaii

– Average refund amount: $2,874
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 69.1%

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#38. South Carolina

– Average refund amount: $2,891
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 74.0%

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#37. West Virginia

– Average refund amount: $2,896
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 81.7%

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#36. North Carolina

– Average refund amount: $2,909
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 75.1%

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#35. Missouri

– Average refund amount: $2,912
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 76.4%

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#34. Kansas

– Average refund amount: $2,919
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 74.0%

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#33. Kentucky

– Average refund amount: $2,920
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 79.3%

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#32. Delaware

– Average refund amount: $2,925
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 75.2%

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#31. Michigan

– Average refund amount: $2,935
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 76.3%

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#30. Pennsylvania

– Average refund amount: $2,938
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 77.7%

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#29. Indiana

– Average refund amount: $2,951
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 79.5%

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#28. New Mexico

– Average refund amount: $2,960
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 75.8%

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#27. South Dakota

– Average refund amount: $2,974
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 73.9%

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#26. Colorado

– Average refund amount: $2,978
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 71.6%

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#25. Arizona

– Average refund amount: $3,016
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 72.7%

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#24. Virginia

– Average refund amount: $3,018
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 72.9%

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#23. Tennessee

– Average refund amount: $3,044
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 77.7%

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#22. Massachusetts

– Average refund amount: $3,048
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 72.0%

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#21. Washington DC

– Average refund amount: $3,082
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 70.9%

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#20. California

– Average refund amount: $3,084
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 67.9%

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#19. North Dakota

– Average refund amount: $3,090
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 73.9%

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#18. Arkansas

– Average refund amount: $3,093
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 77.4%

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#17. Maryland

– Average refund amount: $3,100
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 71.8%

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#16. Alabama

– Average refund amount: $3,122
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 76.9%

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#15. Utah

– Average refund amount: $3,125
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 74.2%

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#14. New York

– Average refund amount: $3,128
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 73.3%

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#13. New Jersey

– Average refund amount: $3,144
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 71.4%

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#12. Oklahoma

– Average refund amount: $3,158
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 77.1%

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#11. Nevada

– Average refund amount: $3,166
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 75.8%

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#10. Georgia

– Average refund amount: $3,182
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 74.7%

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#9. Mississippi

– Average refund amount: $3,194
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 79.5%

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#8. Connecticut

– Average refund amount: $3,202
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 73.0%

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#7. Alaska

– Average refund amount: $3,246
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 74.2%

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#6. Florida

– Average refund amount: $3,278
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 74.5%

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#5. Wyoming

– Average refund amount: $3,290
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 74.9%

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#4. Washington

– Average refund amount: $3,290
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 72.5%

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#3. Illinois

– Average refund amount: $3,293
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 76.2%

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#2. Louisiana

– Average refund amount: $3,330
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 79.3%

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#1. Texas

– Average refund amount: $3,488
– Percent of returns that get a refund: 77.8%