WASHINGTON (TNND) — The 2026 tax season officially begins Monday across the United States, and House Speaker Mike Johnson says many Americans may be in for a pleasant surprise.

While tax season is often viewed as a stressful or unwelcome time, Johnson said this year will be different, pointing to what he described as meaningful financial gains for working families.

“Thanks to our Working Families Tax Cut, tens of millions of American families are going to see bigger paychecks and larger tax refunds,” Johnson said during a press conference Wednesday.

He highlighted several key figures to underscore the impact:

• $4,000 — the projected average tax refund for Americans this year

• $100 billion — the estimated total value of 2025 tax refunds for families

• $10,000 — the average annual increase in take-home pay for working families nationwide

“That $10,000 figure is the average across the country,” Johnson said. “That’s real money going back into household budgets.”

Johnson credited the gains to tax reforms implemented under Donald Trump, noting that the administration reduced federal taxes and made several key provisions permanent. Among them: the doubled standard deduction, a new $6,000 deduction for seniors, and the elimination of federal taxes on tips and overtime pay, along with other family-focused measures.

“And those are just the provisions aimed at families,” Johnson added.

Johnson also emphasized the benefits for businesses, saying the current tax environment is designed to strengthen growth, expand operations and support job creation.

“This agenda puts Main Street ahead of Wall Street,” he said. “We made the 20% small-business deduction permanent, doubled expensing limits to $2.5 million, expanded childcare tax credits for employers, reduced paperwork by raising the 1099 reporting threshold, and expanded opportunity zones — bringing more than $100 billion in new investment to distressed rural areas.”

He also pointed to an increased estate tax exemption for family farms, calling the package “pro-growth policy” that will deliver tangible benefits to the American economy.

“That’s a lot of smart, growth-oriented policy,” Johnson said. “And the American people are going to feel the positive effects.”

President Trump has previously said Americans are on track to receive the largest tax refunds in U.S. history, attributing the outcome to his signature legislation, which he has described as the “One Big, Beautiful Bill.”