Income tax returns are due Monday. Are this year's refunds trending more or less than last year?

Taxpayers are generally getting bigger income tax refunds this year than last year.

The average refund this tax season as of April 1 was $3,226, up 11.5% from last year, the IRS reports.

Friday, April 15, is celebrated as National Tax Day because that's historically been the federal government's deadline for people to turn in their individual income tax forms.

This year's filing deadline, however, is Monday, April 18, according to the IRS website.

Why is 'Tax Day' later this year?

The deadline got bumped back this year because Friday will be Emancipation Day, a holiday celebrated in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the anniversary of the end of slavery in the District of Columbia.

The filing deadline will be Tuesday in Maine and Massachusetts, because those states will celebrate Monday as "Patriots Day" to commemorate the battles of Lexington, Concord and Menotony, near the beginning of the American Revolution.

Taxpayers who request and receive an extension will have until Oct. 17 to file.

Average refunds are higher this year. Why?

One reason average refunds are higher this year is because the federal government boosted child tax credits for some taxpayers, raising the credit for children under age 6 to $3,600 per child for the 2021 tax year from $2,000 per child for the year 2020 for children, according to the IRS.

The government has also expanded the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, which provides a break to low- to moderate-income workers and families.

The credit was previously limited to low-income taxpayers ages 25 to 64 without dependents. But starting with tax year 2021, the minimum age has been lowered to 19 for taxpayers without dependents, with students being among those eligible.

Free assistance program 'very busy'

Shawnee County's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program has been "very, very busy" during the current tax season, said its director, Susan Fangman, of Shawnee County's K-State Research and Extension Office.

The program offers free help filing income tax returns.

As the program was seeing more people come to its in-person sites than its volunteers could accommodate, Fangman made a public request last month that patrons instead mail in or drop off their income tax information.

The deadline was April 1 for providing information to VITA volunteers to process.

Fangman said Thursday it wasn't yet clear how many people used the program this year.

What are common tax return myths?

The IRS in a news release Monday dispelled some commonly held myths about tax refunds. It sought to stymie popular misconceptions that:

• Calling the IRS or visiting an IRS office speeds up the issuance of a refund. It doesn't, that agency said.

• Calling a tax professional speeds up the issuance of a refund. It doesn't.

• Taxpayers can get a refund date by ordering a tax transcript. They can't.

• All refunds by the IRS arrive in less than 21 days. It's possible a refund may take longer for a variety of reasons, including when a return is incomplete or needs further review.

• Getting a refund this year means there's no need to adjust tax withholding for 2022. It doesn't. Taxpayers should consequently continually check their withholding and adjust accordingly.

Tim Hrenchir can be reached at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Here's what to know as you file income tax forms, which are due Monday