PATH Act Refund Delay 2026: The Internal Revenue Service is all set to process the tax refund for the earned income tax credit and additional child tax credit from February 21, 2026, and the initial refund direct deposit is expected to be received on March 2, 2026.
If you have already filed your 2026 tax return and claimed EITC and/or ACTC, you should know that you have to wait a little longer to get your tax refund because of the PATH Act. Basically, it’s a law that prohibits the IRS from processing any return with EITC and/or ACTC before mid-February.
Here we have discussed everything you need to know about the PATH Act refund delay. Read this article thoroughly to check when you can expect your tax refund, how you can check your tax refund status, what to do if you do not get your tax refund by the estimated date, and much more.
PATH Act Refund Delay 2026
For individuals who e-filed their 2026 tax return between January 9 and 15, 2026, by claiming earned income tax credit and/or additional child tax credit, their return will be approved on February 21, 2026, and the refund direct deposit will be received on March 2, 2026.
Taxpayers who have filed their return for tax year 2025 on paper and claimed both or any of the aforementioned tax credits will have to wait up to 8 weeks to get their tax refund. As per the IRS timeline, the refunds for ACTC and/or EITC are received within four weeks after e-filing.
What are the 2026 EITC/ACTC refund dates?
The Internal Revenue Service has not released any schedule for getting the EITC/ACTC refund. Based on the official refund timeline and previous-year trends, we have prepared an estimated calendar to get the refund in 2026.
| E-Filed | Approved | Sent |
| Jan 9 – Jan 15, 2026 | Feb 21, 2026 | Mar 2 – Mar 6, 2026 |
| Jan 16 – Jan 22, 2026 | Feb 21 – Feb 24 | Mar 3 – Mar 10 |
| Jan 23 – Jan 29, 2026 | Feb 24 – Feb 27 | Mar 7 – Mar 14 |
| Jan 30 – Feb 4, 2026 | Feb 27 – Mar 2 | Mar 11 – Mar 18 |
| Feb 5 – Feb 11, 2026 | Mar 3 – Mar 7 | Mar 16 – Mar 23 |
| Feb 12 – Feb 18, 2026 | Mar 8 – Mar 12 | Mar 21 – Mar 28 |
| Feb 19 – Feb 25, 2026 | Mar 13 – Mar 17 | Mar 26 – Apr 2 |
| Feb 26 – Mar 4, 2026 | Mar 18 – Mar 22 | Mar 31 – Apr 7 |
| Mar 5 – Mar 11, 2026 | Mar 23 – Mar 27 | Apr 5 – Apr 12 |
The direct deposit is received in the bank account within a few hours after they are sent by the IRS; in some cases, it may take up to a week. If you do not get your payment within 7 days after the refund status shows as “Sent,” you need to get in touch with your bank.
The return schedule given above is estimated. Once the Internal Revenue Service has approved your return, it shows the date on which the refund will be sent out. To stay updated about your EITC or ACTC refund, it is recommended that you keep checking the status.
How to check the 2026 EITC/ACTC refund status?
In order to check the refund status for the earned income tax credit and/or additional child tax credit, please go through the step-by-step instructions.
- Go to the official website of the Internal Revenue Service.
- Find and click on the ‘Track Refund Status’ button and go to the next page.
- Enter your SSN, choose your tax year, and opt for your filing status.
- Fill in the refund amount and click on the Submit button.
After going through the guide given above, you will successfully have checked your EITC/ACTC refund status. It will show that your tax return is received, approved, or your tax refund is sent by the IRS.