I encourage everyone to file as early as you can. Refunds are larger this tax season based on the change in the tax rates while employers did not change their withholding charts during 2025. Those who are W-2 employees will see more take home pay in 2026 since new withholding charts are in place.
I filed our joint return on Jan 26 and received the federal refund on Jan 30. Yes, that means 4 days. The longer you wait to file, the longer your refund will take.