Owe Taxes This Year? Here’s How to Lower Your Balance Due in the Future.

Most Americans equate tax season with the hope of getting a big refund. Yet one in four taxpayers typically owes money at the time of filing, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

A tax bill can come as a costly surprise, so it pays to know your payment options. Last year, the average balance due was nearly $8,000, compared with an average of $5,273 from 2010 through 2019. Given that average refunds for those who have filed their taxes are smaller this year so far, balances due could be larger, said Erica York, a senior economist at the Tax Foundation in Washington, D.C.