If you file before February 15, you're owed a tax refund and you're claiming either the ACTC or EITC, your entire refund will be withheld until at least the February 15 deadline. This delay allows the IRS time to match information from individual tax returns with information on the W-2 forms from employers, which are sent to the IRS by January 31, as a way of preventingdentify theft and fraud.
