Reason for Delay: You Claim Certain Credits
If you file early and claim the (EITC) or the ACTC), you will have to wait a bit for a refund. According to the law, the IRS has to wait until Feb. 15 to issue a refund to taxpayers who claimed either of those credits. President’s Day and bank processing times can slow down your refund further. For 2019, the first refunds (if you claimed the EITC or ACTC) aren’t available in taxpayer bank accounts until Feb. 27.
This hold on your refund may get in the way of your budgeting, but there is no need to be nervous. The hold is not a result of mistakes or problems with your return. The IRS simply takes the extra time to confirm that everyone who claimed the credit could rightfully do so.
If you claimed those credits and you have been waiting weeks for a refund, you can check the status of your refund on the IRS website through its Where’s My Refund? tool.
