When to Expect Your Refund if You Claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit
If you claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC), you can expect to get your refund by February 27 if:
- You file your return online
- You choose to get your refund by direct deposit
- We found no issues with your return
Please note that some taxpayers may receive their refunds a few days earlier. To find out your personalized refund date, you can check the "Where's My Refund" tool. For most early EITC/ACTC filers, the tool should show an updated status by February 17.
It's important to keep in mind that your financial institution may need time to accept your direct deposit or issue a debit card. Many institutions do not process payments on weekends or holidays. Therefore, if you file early, be aware of federal and local holidays that may affect how soon you receive your refund.
Why We Hold Your Refund
By law, we are not allowed to issue EITC or ACTC refunds before mid-February. This includes your entire refund, not just the part that is related to the credit you claimed on your tax return.
If you claim the EITC or ACTC, we may need more information from you about your return. If this is the case, we will send you a letter requesting the additional information.
How to Track Your Refund
You can easily check the status of your refund using the following methods:
- Where's My Refund
- IRS2Go app
Both applications are updated once a day, usually overnight. Therefore, there is no need to check the status more often than that.
Resources
For more information about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC), you can refer to the following resources:
Page Last Reviewed or Updated: 09-Jan-2024