Did you claim the Earned Income Tax Credit and/or the Additional Child Tax Credit? We did. And that’s exactly why our tax refund won’t arrive until late February this year.
For the last ten years, we’ve filed as early as possible and we’ve appreciated receiving our refund within just a few weeks via direct deposit. Not this year!
When I checked the IRS website today, I noticed a very unhappy announcement.
According to the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act, the IRS cannot issue EITC and ACTC refunds before February 15. The IRS expects the earliest EITC/ACTC related refunds to be available in taxpayer bank accounts or debit cards on February 27, 2019, if these taxpayers chose direct deposit and there are no other issues with their tax return.
Boo. 🙁
The new law that causes EITC and ACTC refunds to be held does not allow the IRS to issue partial refunds. If you claimed these credits, your entire refund is on hold until they begin processing refunds. If the IRS has any questions about your return, you’ll be waiting even longer.
You can read more about this unhappy update on the IRS website.
Nicole Thelin
Have too much month at the end of your money? Me too - and that's how Low Income Relief got started. I have over 20 years of professional research and writing experience. Over the years, I've worked as a novelist, journalist, ghostwriter and content creator. My work has been featured in various print and online publications, including USA Today, eHow.com, Livestrong.com, Legal Beagle, The Daily Herald (Provo, Utah), The Chronicle (Centralia, WA) and others. At Low Income Relief, I use my professional research and reporting experience to help low income families save money and make ends meet. It's been my full-time job since 2016, and it's truly an honor to serve you.