IRS refund
Definition
A reimbursement issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the U.S. federal tax agency, to taxpayers who have overpaid their taxes through withholdings, estimated payments, or other credits exceeding their tax liability.
Commonly refers to the direct deposit or check sent annually after tax filing, often anticipated as a financial windfall but sometimes disappointingly modest.
Examples
After months of staring at my bank app, the IRS refund finally dropped like an unexpected bonus from a generous aunt.
My IRS refund covered exactly one month's rent and a suspiciously large pizza order – adulting achieved.
Dreaming of that IRS refund turned into a comedy when it arrived $12 short due to some 'adjustment' nobody warned me about.
She splurged her entire IRS refund on vintage sneakers, proving taxes can fund questionable life choices.