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:

However, some taxpayers may see their refunds a few days earlier. Check Where’s My Refund for your personalized refund date. Where's My Refund should show an updated status by February 17 for most early EITC/ACTC filers.

Additionally, your financial institution may need time to accept your direct deposit or issue a debit card. Many institutions don’t process payments on weekends or holidays. So, if you file early, be aware of federal and local holidays that may affect how soon you get your refund.

Why we hold your refund

By law, we can’t issue EITC or ACTC refunds before mid-February. This includes your entire refund, not just the part that’s 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 we do, we will send you a letter.

How to track your refund

Check the status of your refund:

We update both applications once a day, usually overnight. This means there's no need to check the status more often.

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