02/10/2026
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has confirmed that taxpayers claiming certain high-value credits in 2026 will not receive their refunds until at least March 2, 2026. This delay primarily affects over 20 million early filers who claim specific family-related tax benefits.
Affected Filers and Credits
The mandatory hold applies to any tax return that includes the following:
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): A credit for low-to-moderate-income working individuals and families.
Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC): The refundable portion of the child tax credit for those who do not owe enough tax to use the full non-refundable credit.
Reasons for the Delay
The delay is a legal requirement under the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015.
Fraud Prevention: By law, the IRS must hold these refunds until mid-February (specifically February 15) to give the agency extra time to verify income, withholding, and identity.
Accuracy Checks: This additional window helps prevent identity theft and ensures that the significant sums associated with these credits are paid to the correct individuals.
2026 Refund Timeline
February 15: The earliest date the IRS can legally begin releasing refunds for EITC/ACTC filers.
February 21: The IRS expects the Where's My Refund? tool to show projected deposit dates for most early filers who claimed these credits.
March 2: The target date by which most early filers should see their refunds in their bank accounts, provided they used direct deposit and their return has no other errors.
March 6: The date by which the IRS expects to have funded the majority of refunds for taxpayers claiming these credits.
Taxpayers who filed on paper or requested a mailed check should expect significantly longer wait times, potentially six weeks or more.
