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.
Would you like to know how to use the Where's My Refund tool to track your specific deposit date?
