Internal Revenue Service warnings about lower tax refunds this year are holding true.

The latest IRS data shows the agency has received 71.86 million tax returns since filing season opened Jan. 23. Of those, it has processed 71.455 million and issued 53.9 million refunds, an increase of 4.1%.

The average amount of the refunds has dropped, however. The average tax refund this year is $2,933, down from $3,305 – a drop of 11.3% – from last year. The IRS has issued a total of $158.096 billion in refunds, down 7.6% over last year where there were $171.14 billion issued to this point.

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Drops in refunds are due to the end of pandemic-era programs, including the Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit and Child and Dependent Care Credit, as well as changes for deductions allowed for charitable contributions.

“Refunds may be smaller in 2023. Taxpayers will not receive an additional stimulus payment with a 2023 tax refund because there were no Economic Impact Payments for 2022. In addition, taxpayers who don’t itemize and take the standard deduction, won’t be able to deduct their charitable contributions,” the IRS said in a statement.

READ MORE: 4 reasons your tax refund will likely be smaller in 2023

While refunds may be lower than last year, advice on filing and receiving your refund quickly remains the same. The IRS advises people to file electronically with direct deposit for your refund. People who do so can typically expect to receive their refund within 21 days.