The additional child tax credit, a refundable tax credit, can be claimed and received with a tax return. It is $1,700 per child for the 2025 tax year. The 2026 tax season officially began on January 26, 2026, and the IRS has officially released details regarding the ACTC.
The Internal Revenue Service will begin releasing additional child tax credit refunds starting March 2, 2026. Initially, those who e-filed their returns at the earliest stage, as soon as the filing process began, will receive their refunds first.
If you have filed your tax return for the tax year 2025 and claimed ACTC in it, you will definitely receive a refund. Here, we have shared an estimated schedule so you can find out when you will receive your additional child tax credit refund.
2026 Additional Child Tax Credit Refund Dates
The IRS begins the electronic filing process for tax year 2025 on January 9, 2026. Many people have already filed their returns, and several of them have claimed the Additional Child Tax Credit. If you are one of them, you will likely be interested in knowing when you will receive your ACTC refund.
In 2026, the processing of ACTC refunds will begin after February 15th, as in previous years. However, due to the PATH Act, this year the processing will start on February 21, 2026. The IRS has publicly announced this information and stated that refunds for the ACTC could be received as early as March 2, 2026.
When you will receive your ACTC 2026 refund depends on when you e-filed your return. Below, we have prepared a table that shows when you can expect to receive your additional child tax credit refund if you file on a specific date.
| Filed | Received | Approved | Sent |
| January 9 to 15 | January 10 to 16 | February 21 to 27 | March 2 to 8 |
| January 16 to 22 | January 17 to 23 | February 28 to March 6 | March 9 to 15 |
| January 23 to 29 | January 24 to 30 | March 7 to 13 | March 16 to 22 |
| January 30 to February 5 | January 31 to February 6 | March 14 to 20 | March 23 to 29 |
| February 6 to 12 | February 7 to 13 | March 21 to 27 | March 30 to April 5 |
| February 13 to 19 | February 14 to 20 | March 28 to April 3 | April 6 to 12 |
| February 20 to 26 | February 21 to 27 | April 4 to 10 | April 13 to 19 |
| February 27 to March 5 | February 28 to March 6 | April 11 to 17 | April 20 to 26 |
| March 6 to 12 | March 7 to 13 | April 18 to 24 | April 27 to May 3 |
| March 13 to 19 | March 14 to 20 | April 25 to May 1 | May 4 to 10 |
| March 20 to 26 | March 21 to 27 | May 2 to 8 | May 11 to 17 |
| March 27 to April 2 | March 28 to April 3 | May 9 to 15 | May 18 to 24 |
| April 3 to 9 | April 4 to 10 | May 16 to 22 | May 25 to 31 |
| April 10 to 15 | April 11 to 16 | May 23 to 28 | June 1 to 6 |
The processing of additional child tax credit refunds takes longer because they undergo a more thorough review. Once the refund is sent by the IRS, it can take a maximum of 4 hours to receive it.
Can I check the exact 2026 ACTC refund date?
Yes, it is possible to check the exact payment amount and date of ACTC refund, but you will have to wait until the IRS approves your tax return. Immediately after approval, you will see the date on which they will release your refund in your tax return status.
If you claimed the additional child tax credit on your 2026 tax return, it may take approximately 6 weeks for it to be approved. To stay updated regarding its status, regularly check the refund status on the “Where’s My Refund” tool or the IRS2Go mobile application.
How to check the 2026 ACTC refund status?
You can check the refund status for the additional child tax credit by going through the step-by-step instructions.
- Go to the official website of the Internal Revenue Service.
- Tap on the ‘Use refund tracker’ option and go to the next page.
- Enter your SSN, Tax Year, Filing Status and Refund Amount.
- Click on the Submit button.
After going through the step-by-step instructions, you will successfully have checked that your tax refund is received, approved or sent by the IRS.
