The average tax refund has increased by less than $270 despite the Morrison government’s boost to the low and middle-income tax offset, raising doubts whether the move will do enough to boost the nation’s struggling economy.

Figures obtained from the Australian Taxation Office by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age show that despite suggestions of a surge in refunds to ordinary workers there has been at best a modest boost to post-tax incomes.

In the first nine weeks of the 2019-20 financial year to September 3, the ATO had issued 5.4 million individual tax refunds worth a total $14.5 billion.

The average tax refund so far this year is just $265 ahead of those issued for the same period in 2018, raising doubts over how much stimulus is being delivered to the economy. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

For the same period in the 2018-19 financial year, it issued 4.6 million returns worth $11.3 billion.