First I want to start by saying, if you filed before January 27th, the IRS didn’t actually start accepting returns until that date. The date your refund is accepted is the date that the IRS goes by when determining your refund schedule. As far as EITC and CTC, these will not be approved until February 15 at the earliest. Generally, tax returns are approved and processed within 21 days of being accepted if these credits are not claimed. This is because these tax credits need to be verified. I wouldn’t expect this practice to change in following years.