Trump’s high-stakes bid to dole out $100 billion more in tax refunds

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. WASHINGTON—Republicans and President Trump designed their tax cuts for this moment, creating a refund bonanza that will land in Americans’ bank accounts well ahead of the midterm elections. The annual tax-filing season that opened Monday will produce a cash surge estimated at $100 billion beyond last year’s $329 billion total, and it is engineered to buoy Republicans’ sagging voter approval.

Public confidence in Trump’s economic leadership has slumped, and better-than-expected growth hasn’t overcome Americans’ anxiety about the cost of living and a slowed job market. At stake is whether Republicans can retain narrow House and Senate majorities that give them the authority to control the federal agenda and prevent investigations of Trump. The tax-policy strategy is simple: Put money in voters’ wallets and get rewarded at the polls.

In reality, it is a double-bank shot with little guarantee of success. Republicans need the Internal Revenue Service, shrunken by layoffs and retirements, to issue refunds efficiently and answer taxpayers’ questions promptly. They also must make sure voters know why they are getting more money.

And even if larger tax refunds pay immediate political dividends, Republicans need to keep that goodwill at the top of Americans’ minds when they go to the polls in November. Republicans are heavily promoting the tax refunds, turning tax season into a showcase for their biggest legislative achievement. The law that Trump signed July 4 included tax breaks for tipped employees, overtime workers, senior citizens, car buyers, parents and people with high state and local tax bills.