IRS Warns Millions of Americans Face Tax Refund Delays Until March

The Internal Revenue Service has confirmed that millions of taxpayers claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) will experience significant refund delays in 2026, with payments not arriving until at least March 2.

The delays affect approximately 23.5 million workers and families who claimed the EITC in 2024, receiving an average refund of $2,916 per household. Federal law under the PATH Act of 2015 requires the IRS to hold these refunds until mid-February to verify reported income, prevent fraud, and check for errors.

"These credits require additional verification to ensure reported income is accurate, check for errors, and prevent potential fraud," explained Alex Beene, financial literacy instructor at the University of Tennessee. The hold applies to the entire federal refund amount, not just the credit portion.

Taxpayers who selected direct deposit and have error-free returns should receive refunds by March 2, though those choosing paper checks face additional delays. The IRS "Where's My Refund" tool will display projected deposit dates for most early filers by February 21, 2026.