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Refund Watch

Where is my refund? PATH Act might delay it. What you need to know.

Updated on February 16, 2023

If you claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC), the IRS puts a hold on your refund for a special review to make sure you are reporting these credits correctly. We know how important tax refunds are to you and your family, and we want you to be the first to know when the IRS will finally start processing your refund.

What we know right now

The holds the IRS puts on your return is part of the PATH Act . The IRS website and app will be updated for most filers by February 18. Including expected refund dates for most early filers with EITC/ACTC.
This year, we expect the PATH Act funding to happen in 2 batches. The first batch will likely be very small . This is to test the systems. The second batch will contain the majority of refunds for each funding method.

Expected timing

Date	Day	What we expect
2/15	Wed	IRS will begin processing returns, but no refunds. Treasury typically does not fund on the first possible day.
2/15-2/16	Thu-Fri	The IRS is funding! Get your refund faster¹ when you choose to have it deposited on a Serve^® American Express^® Card.
2/18	Sat	IRS Where’s My Refund? app updated with information on PATH funding refunds.
2/18-2/19	Sat-Sun	No refunds sent on weekend days.
2/20	Mon	No refunds sent on President’s Day Holiday.
By 2/28	Tues	Most PATH Funding refunds expected to be deposited. Mailed refunds can take 4 – 6 weeks or longer based on the mail system.

¹Faster access compared to standard tax refund electronic deposit and subject to IRS submitting refund information to the bank before release date. IRS may not submit refund information early.

Estimated processing times between US Treasury funding and when you get your money

American Express Serve® Card. Very fast, usually within 24 hours and up to 2 days faster than other methods
Direct Deposit to other cards or bank account. Typically 2 to 5 business days, but depends on the bank
Republic Bank Paper Check. Typically delivered to address on your return within 5 to 7 business days

Check back for updates

Bookmark this page, and we’ll keep you up to date. Haven’t filed? Find your nearest location , and let’s get you set up for your biggest refund possible

Frequently asked questions

Many different factors can affect the timing of your refund after we receive your return. Even though Treasury issues most refunds in less than 21 days, it’s possible your refund may take longer. Also, remember to take into consideration the time it takes for your financial institution to post the refund to your account or for you to receive it by mail.

According to the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act, the IRS cannot issue EITC and ACTC refunds before mid-February. The IRS expects most EITC/ACTC related refunds to be available in taxpayer bank accounts or on debit cards by February 28, if they chose direct deposit and there are no other issues with their tax return. 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? on IRS.gov https://www.irs.gov/refunds and the IRS2Go mobile app https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs2goapp remains the best way to check the status of a refund.

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