The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website stopped working for a while on February 18, 2026. Taxpayers found themselves staring at the blank screen, which displayed a “down for maintenance” message. Filing taxes is already a stressful experience, the casual approach of the agency and the website crash were the icing on the cake.
The interruption came at the when the agency was anticipating almost 164 million returns. The agency claims that most digital users who deposit directly via the official site will see their refunds within 21 days.
The IRS had issued more than 7.4 million refunds by early February. The number was down by 8.1% from last year’s 8.1 million at the same time period.
Electronic payments to and from the #IRS are generally processed faster, cost less to handle, and reduce errors compared to paper payments. It’s time to leave paper behind — learn more at: https://t.co/jxifOBBpv6 pic.twitter.com/lF8p1ElAlm
— IRSnews (@IRSnews) February 18, 2026
Even though the agency reported that taxpayers are filing their taxes at a much slower pace this year, by February 6, the agency confirmed receiving about 22.3 million returns. The number, however, only accumulate about 14% of the expected total returns for the financial year.
Roughly 90 million Americans, or around three-quarters of all tax filers, look forward to their refund every year. The average refund is already up by 10.9% when compared to 2024, rolling in at $2,290. President Trump took to his Truth Social account to declare that refunds were “substantially greater than ever before,” adding that in some cases, “over 20% will be returned to the taxpayer.”
IRS: Why is the IRS Website Down Today? Thousands Ask ‘Where Is My Refund?’ Ahead of 2026 Tax Deadline – The Sunday Guardian: Why is the IRS Website Down Today? Thousands Ask ‘Where Is My Refund?’ Ahead of 2026 Tax Deadline The… https://t.co/rNWg25Pkai #IRS #tax #accounting
— Rick Telberg (@CPA_Trendlines) February 19, 2026
As the IRS didn’t provide any specific timeline for restoration, frustrated taxpayers resorted to submitting outage reports to Downdetector. By noon, the free online platform saw almost 300 complaints piling up. The agency’s lack of a sense of urgency left taxpayers astounded.
Some of them took to social media platforms like X, Facebook, and Instagram to spill their anger at the IRS and the Treasury Department. One user raised eyebrows at the timing of the website collapse. “IRS site maintenance while my refund vanishes? Sketchy,” they wrote.
Another X user opined, “The IRS website being ‘down for maintenance’ when my money is not in my account just does not sit well with me.” Someone on Facebook assured others that the website would be up and running in no time.
It crashed because too many users were trying to check their refunds, “Man, y’all keep checking the IRS website, and it crashed. Calm down. They are updating till 3pm today. My friend works there, and she says they are having to go in batches to release the funds.”
As the IRS’s site lagged during such important hours ahead of the tax deadline, many wondered where their refunds went.
