Planning to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit for the 2025 tax year? Then, you won’t see their credit until late February due to some restrictions at the IRS. The article covers everything about the EITC refund and the reason for the delay.
The EITC supports low-to moderate-income earners to get some tax relief, and this relief can be higher if you have dependent children. The EITC credit reduces the taxes you owe, and it may increase your refund as it comes with your tax refund.
The delay in the EITC refund happens due to the PATH Act restrictions, so if you claim this credit, your tax refund will also be delayed. The delay for early filers will continue till late February, and the taxpayers can expect their refund in March 2026.
What is the IRS PATH Act restriction on EITC?
The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2025 restricts the IRS to not processing the EITC or Additional Child Tax Credit till mid-February of the tax season. The restriction on these credit refunds is intended to give the IRS the extra time to review and verify the claim.
The act was also enacted to prevent fraudulent activities, ineligible claims on the EITC, and to combat identity theft. Under this law, the IRS cannot process the credit refunds till 15 February, impacting millions of taxpayers who claim EITC.
So, if you file taxes before 15 February and claim the EITC, you can expect a delay and have to wait longer for your tax refund.
When can you expect the EITC 2026 refund?
If you qualify for the EITC refund, you can expect it to be processed along with your tax refund. The restriction will be lifted after 15 February 2026, and the payment will process after that, so based on your payment method, you can expect the payout.
The direct depositors can expect the refund to be processed within a week, so you can expect the payment by the end of February, whereas others can expect it by the first week of March 2026. The paper check will end in the 2026 tax season, so taxpayers should switch to the electronic method.
What is the EITC Payout Amount for the 2025 tax year?
The IRS has updated the EITC credit amount for the 2025 tax year based on the inflation adjustment. If you are claiming the credit, you can check the maximum credit amount in the table below based on the number of children:
| Number of qualifying Children | Credit Amount |
| Zero | $649 |
| One | $4328 |
| Two | $7152 |
| Three or more | $8046 |
The credit amount can change or be reduced for the taxpayers because it depends on multiple factors, such as annual gross income, investment income, filing status, and number of qualifying children.
How can you track your EITC refund?
If you are planning to claim the EITC credit with the 2025 tax year return, you should know how to track your refund, as delays are non-negotiable. The IRS allows taxpayers to track their refund status through the Where’s My Refund tool on the IRS2Go app or the IRS official website.
Before you use the Where’s My Refund tool to track your tax refund, you must know you will need the following information:
- Filing status
- Tax Year
- Refund Amount
- Social Security Number or ITIN
When you have the following, you can follow the steps below after 24 hours of e-filing your tax return or weeks after filing your paper return:
- Go to the IRS official website and click on Refund status.
- You will land on the Where’s My Refund tool page, where you can click the Check My Refund tab.
- On the next page, enter your SSN/ ITIN, tax year, filing status, and refund amount, and submit it.
- Once you click the submit button, your EITC tax refund status will appear on your screen: return processes, refund approved, or refund sent.
The IRS must wait till mid-February to process the EITC refund. Wait till that time, and if the refund is not processed, reach out to the IRS. Generally, if you have filed with direct deposit, your refund will be processed faster, so keep that in mind and claim the credit with your tax return.
Disclaimer: EITC Refund 2026 details are subject to IRS rules and may change. Check official sources for updates.
