The Internal Revenue Service has shared new information for taxpayers who have not yet received their refunds. Many people who claimed certain tax credits have noticed delays, and the agency has now explained why.
Refund delays for EITC and ACTC filers
The update mainly affects taxpayers who claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC). Some refunds were placed on hold even as 2026 is described as the “largest tax refund season ever.”
According to NerdWallet, for the 2026 tax season, maximum EITC amounts are listed as $649, $4,328, $7,152 and $8,046. The exact amount depends on a person’s filing status and how many children they have.
When will refunds arrive?
Officials said that taxpayers who have claimed the EITC or ACTC, filed their return online, selected direct deposit and had no problems with their return should receive their refund by Monday.
The reason for the delay is that the IRS must legally hold EITC and ACTC refunds until mid-February to check for possible mistakes or fraud.
“This includes your entire refund, not just the part that’s related to the credit you claimed on your tax return,” the agency said.
“If you claim the EITC or ACTC, we may need more information from you about your return,” the IRS said.
“If we do, we will send you a letter”, they added.
Some people may get their refund before Monday. However, the IRS noted that banks may take extra time to process direct deposits as many financial institutions do not handle payments on weekends.
How to track your refund
- Taxpayers can check their refund status using the IRS “Where’s My Refund” tool.
- They must enter their Social Security number or individual taxpayer ID number to use the tool.
- They also need to select the tax year for the return.
- Taxpayers must provide their filing status and the exact refund amount listed on their tax return.
- The tool shows when the refund was received, approved and issued.
- Those who filed online for the current tax year can usually see their status within 24 hours.
- People checking a previous year’s return may see an update within three to four days.
- Taxpayers who mailed a paper return may need to wait up to four weeks to see their refund status.
