2026 ACTC/EITC Refund Dates: When Will You Get Your Direct Deposit?

The Earned Income Tax Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit are two refundable tax credits provided by the federal government to Americans whose annual income falls between low and moderate levels. Basically, their purpose is to provide tax relief to low- and moderate-income earners.

To avail of either or both of these benefits, it is necessary for taxpayers to file their returns on time and claim these tax credits. As in previous years, millions of Americans are eligible to benefit from these tax credits in 2026, and the Internal Revenue Service has also officially shared details related to the refunds.

Tax credits help people in two ways: they help those with a tax liability reduce or eliminate their liability, and they provide refunds to those with very little or no tax liability. If you have already filed your tax return in 2026 and claimed one or both of these tax credits and want to know when you will receive your EITC/ACTC refund, then read this article thoroughly.

2026 ACTC/EITC Refund Dates 

According to the Internal Revenue Service, regarding tax year 2025, for which filing began on January 9, 2026, they have announced that taxpayers who file their returns early and claim tax credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit may receive their refunds as early as March 2, 2026.

Starting March 2, 2026, the IRS will begin releasing refunds for ACTC and EITC.  Refunds will be issued first to those who filed their returns on time, whose returns contain all accurate details, and most importantly, who filed electronically. Those who filed on paper will have to wait much longer than usual for their refunds.

If you have claimed EITC and/or ACTC on your tax return and are wondering when you will receive your refund, the timing depends on when you filed. If you filed early, you will likely receive your refund within a few days of the refund payout process beginning. If you filed late, you may have to wait a little longer.

EITC/ACTC Estimated Refund Schedule 2026

The IRS does not officially release a schedule for receiving EITC/ACTC refunds. Based on refund timelines and trends from previous years, we have created an estimated schedule, which is provided in the table below. You can use your electronic filing date to determine when you might receive your refund.

Once the refund is released by the IRS, it typically takes a maximum of 4 hours for the recipient to receive it. However, if there are technical issues, you might have to wait up to 72 hours.

One more thing you should know: once your refund is accepted by the IRS, the Where’s My Refund? tool and the IRS2Go mobile application will tell you the exact date your refund will be released. So, keep checking your refund status regularly to find out your refund date.

EITC/ACTC Refund Delay Updates 

If you don’t receive your earned income tax credit or additional child tax credit refund within the expected timeframe, it’s best to first check your refund status to confirm whether the Internal Revenue Service has accepted your refund request.

If your tax return has not been accepted by the IRS, you should visit your nearest IRS office and inquire about why your refund has not yet been processed. There might be a mistake in your filing or a lack of necessary documents.