01/23/2026
Tax refunds and tax fee information you need to know.
If you do not have EITC or ACTC on your return, your refund is typically processed within 8 to 21 days.
If you do have EITC or ACTC, your refund will not be processed until after February 15. This is an IRS rule, not a tax office delay.
If you received a cash advance, remember this order:
The cash advance is taken off the top
Then tax prep fees bank fees processing fees
You receive the remaining balance
Now let’s talk about fees coming out of your refund.
If you paid your tax prep fees out of pocket, the third-party bank is not involved, and your refund comes directly from the IRS to your bank. In that case, make sure your bank information is correct.
One last thing about fees.
When you choose to have fees taken out of your refund, you are paying more than just the tax preparer. You are also paying:
The bank
The tax software company
Administrative and processing fees
Electronic filing
If you received a cash advance, you are also paying interest. For example, a $7,000 advance can carry fees of around $222 by itself.
Those fees do not all go to the tax pro.
Just a few friendly reminders! Happy Tax Season
