What is the average tax refund in Kentucky? State ranks among bottom 10 in US
Many Kentucky tax filers counting on refunds this year are likely to get them, but the state numbers among the bottom 10 when it comes to average refund amount.
That’s the chief takeaway from a report out this week from Upgraded Points, a Texas-based website that shows travelers how to maximize their credit card points, miles and rewards.
Using the latest available U.S. Internal Revenue Service data, the report looked at the states with the largest and smallest federal tax refunds, including Kentucky, which ranks 40th in Upgraded Points’ analysis.
What is the average tax refund amount in Kentucky?
In its analysis, Upgraded Points looked at average tax refund amounts state-by-state and the share of returns that received refunds.
For Kentucky, the average refund amount overall was $2,922. That’s about $350 less than the national average of $3,271 in the 2025 filing season, according to Upgraded Points.
Additionally, up to 73% of federal returns filed in Kentucky receive tax refunds, and nearly 90% are issued via direct deposit rather than paper checks.
The report also looked at the average refund amount for different income brackets in Kentucky, which includes:
$2,381 for household incomes less than $50,000
$2,822 for household incomes between $50,000 and $100,000
$3,992 for household incomes between $100,000 and $200,000
$13,237 for household incomes greater than $200,000
As the report notes, average refund amounts increase with household income, with the trade off being high-income taxpayers are the least likely to receive refunds in the first place.
Upgraded Points sourced data from the IRS’ filing season statistics and Individual Income Tax Return (Form 1040) statistics. For its breakdown of refund amounts by income level, state and county, it used the most recent data from the Form 1040 statistics, which covers the 2022 tax year.
Which states received the highest tax refund amounts?
Among the states, filers in parts of the South and Mountain West receive the highest refund amounts. According to Upgraded Points, the top five include:
Florida, with the highest average refund amount in the country at $3,852. Up to 67% of filers got a refund.
Texas, where the average refund stood at $3,774 and 71% of filers received a refund.
Wyoming, where despite its tiny population, the average refund amount was $3,720 and 68% of filers got a refund.
Nevada had an average refund amount of $3,643 and an overall refund rate of 70%.
Louisiana, with an average refund amount of $3,577 and a refund rate of 73%.
Out of all the states, Maine placed last with the lowest average refund amount at $2,656. In the Pine Tree State, 67.5% of filers received a refund on their federal tax return.
How to track and calculate your tax refund
The deadline to file your return arrives Tuesday, April 15, so if you haven’t filed your taxes this year, you’d better get on it.
If you’re still waiting for your refund, you can use the IRS Where’s My Refund tool to track its status. You’ll need to provide your Social Security number or individual taxpayer ID number (ITIN), your filing status and the exact refund amount printed on your return. Your refund status will appear about 24 hours after you electronically file a current-year return.
For your state return, Kentucky has its own Where’s My Refund tool.
The IRS also has a tax withholding estimator filers can use to pick an amount of income tax they want their employers to withhold from their paychecks and get a sense for how it would affect their refund, take-home pay or tax due.
The tool is as accurate as the information entered, and the IRS recommends having your paystubs, income information and your most recent tax return on hand to use it.
Do you have a question about taxes in Kentucky for our service journalism team? Send us an email at ask@herald-leader.com or reach out to us via the Know Your Kentucky form below.