Key Takeaways
- The PATH Act legally bars the IRS from issuing any part of your refund - not just the EITC/ACTC portion - before mid-February if you claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit.
- For the 2026 filing season, the IRS confirmed WMR/IRS2Go status updates by February 21 and direct deposit payments by March 2 for early, clean filers.
- There are two separate dates to track: your refund status update (when WMR/IRS2Go shows your personalized status) and your actual payment date - they're not the same thing.
- Historical PATH release dates have landed consistently in the third week of February for status updates and the first week of March for payments, a pattern likely to hold for the 2027 season.
- PATH is a federal-only rule; it doesn't affect your state refund, which is often paid well before the federal hold lifts.
If you claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) and filed early, your refund is being held by law — not because anything is wrong with your return.
The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act requires the IRS to hold your entire refund, not just the portion tied to those credits, until at least mid-February each year. Here’s how the hold works, the confirmed 2026 dates, historical patterns, and what to expect heading into the 2027 filing season.
What Is the PATH Act?
The PATH Act specifies that the IRS must hold the entire refund — even the portion not associated with the EITC or ACTC — until at least three weeks after the IRS starts processing returns, which normally lands in mid-February. The statutory floor is February 15; if that date falls on a weekend or holiday, the effective date shifts to the next business day.
The additional time lets the IRS cross-check EITC and ACTC claims against employer wage data before releasing refunds, since these are two of the credits most commonly targeted by fraudulent filings involving fabricated wages, dependents, or withholding.
If you don’t claim the refundable portion of the Child Tax Credit (the ACTC), you’re not subject to PATH — this is why some filers claiming only the standard, non-refundable CTC see their refunds released earlier than EITC/ACTC filers.
Subscribe or follow us — I’ll update this page with confirmed dates as soon as the IRS announces them each season.
Two Different Dates to Track
There are two separate milestones with PATH-held refunds, and mixing them up is the single biggest source of confusion every season.
Refund status update. This is when WMR or IRS2Go stops showing the generic PATH delay message and starts showing your personalized refund status. For the 2026 filing season, the IRS confirmed this update by February 21.
Direct deposit payment date. This is when the money actually moves. For 2026, IRS guidance points to refunds landing by March 2 for early filers with electronic returns, direct deposit, and no other issues flagged on their account. Estimated direct deposit dates typically follow 3 to 5 days after a refund is approved; paper checks take 5 to 7 days longer than direct deposit.
2026 PATH Refund Release Schedule
| PATH Held Refund Status Updated By | Direct Deposit Payment By |
|---|---|
| By Feb 21 | March 2 |
| By Feb 28 | March 9 |
| By March 7 | March 16 |
| By March 14 | March 23 |
Refunds are processed in batches — check your cycle code to get a sense of your release date, since early filers with no other return issues generally see their payments first. Approval and payment can happen any day during the week, and some filers see updates and deposits ahead of the general schedule above.
What Your Transcript Shows While You Wait
Even after the PATH hold lifts, many filers still see a “return processing” message with no further transcript updates — this is normal and reflects broader IRS processing timelines, not just the PATH restriction itself.
Watch for code 846 — Refund Issued — on your transcript with a current or future date; that confirms your PATH-held refund has been approved and will pay out once the law allows. If you instead see code 570 (return reconciliation) or a TC 203/898 (Treasury Offset), the IRS is taking additional action on your return beyond the standard PATH hold, and you’ll receive a separate notice explaining why.
Lifting of the PATH hold also doesn’t automatically mean your return is fully approved — other processing issues (claimed credits not reconciling with IRS records, for example) can still delay your refund independently of PATH.
Past PATH Freeze End and Refund Payment Dates
| Start of Tax Season | Expected PATH End Date | Actual IRS PATH End Date | Refund Payments By |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 26, 2026 | February 16, 2026 | February 21, 2026 | March 2, 2026 |
| January 27, 2025 | February 14, 2025 | February 22, 2025 | March 3, 2025 |
| January 29, 2024 | February 17, 2024 | February 16, 2024 | February 22, 2024 |
| January 23, 2023 | February 18, 2023 | February 16, 2023 | February 22, 2023 |
| January 24, 2022 | February 15, 2022 | February 19, 2022 | March 1, 2022 |
| February 12, 2021 | March 1, 2021 | March 4, 2021 | March 15, 2021 |
| January 27, 2020 | February 16, 2020 | February 16, 2020 | February 27, 2020 |
The exact dates shift slightly year to year based on where February 15 falls and IRS processing capacity, but the pattern has held consistently: status updates land in the third week of February, and payments follow roughly a week to ten days later in the first days of March.
Looking Ahead: 2027 Filing Season
The IRS hasn’t yet announced official dates for the 2027 filing season (for 2026 tax year returns) — that announcement typically comes in December or January before the season opens, following the same late-January pattern seen every year since 2020. Based on the consistent history in the table above, a reasonable expectation is a filing season opening in late January 2027, with PATH-held refund status updates landing in the third week of February and payments following in the first several days of March for early, clean, direct-deposit filers.
I’ll update this section with confirmed 2027 dates as soon as the IRS publishes its filing-season announcement.
Does the PATH Act Mean My Refund Is Approved?
No. The PATH message means the IRS has identified you as claiming the EITC or ACTC, so further processing and payment are held for the statutory period — it doesn’t mean your return is fully reviewed or your refund is approved.
WMR and IRS2Go use the PATH message as a placeholder for all PATH-affected returns until the freeze lifts. Once it lifts, your personalized status appears on WMR and your transcript (via code 846). Filing early doesn’t get you paid earlier if you’re PATH-affected — you’re processed as soon as you file, but any refund is held regardless of filing date, so filing early just puts you further up the queue once the hold lifts.
Does the PATH Act Affect My State Tax Refund?
No — PATH is a federal-only rule directed at the IRS. Because your state and federal returns are closely tied through income, deductions, and dependents, it’s common to see them filed together, but your state refund can be approved and paid well before your federal refund, since states aren’t bound by the federal PATH hold.
If discrepancies later show up between your state and federal returns, your state tax agency will typically send a notice seeking an explanation and recoup any underpayment, or issue an additional refund if they owe you more.
Common Issues to Watch Out For
Filing earlier doesn’t mean getting paid earlier if you’re PATH-affected. Your refund is held regardless of your filing date — filing early just puts you further along in the queue once the hold lifts.
A status update isn’t the same as a payment. Seeing your refund status change from the generic PATH message to a personalized status doesn’t mean the money has moved — check for the actual direct deposit date.
PATH applies to your whole refund, not just the credit amount. Even if most of your refund comes from withholding rather than the EITC or ACTC, the IRS holds the entire payment together.
Don’t panic if your estimated date passes without a deposit. Direct deposits can land a few business days after the estimated date depending on your bank’s processing, especially during a high-volume period like early March.
Your state refund isn’t affected by PATH. Check your state refund tracker separately, since many states pay out before the federal hold lifts.
Me and my wife filed early February via direct deposit. However the IRS KEEPS sending us letters telling us they need another 60 days . They would not elaborate on why they were taking so long nor would they give me any information as to when I might possibly receive my direct deposit. How long will this continue? My wife and I are both American tax payers and our taxes have never been audited . Why are they holding the information and not communicating as to why .
Any update on this?
I really don’t understand the PATH Act. All of our taxes went up under Biden. I claimed the EIC and PATH act has 3 dates if filed early. I know it sucks because of inflation but refunds for early filers that falls under the PATH act will get their refunds under the Batch 1, 2, and 3 schedule and if you file on March 7 than you fall on the regular refund schedule from the IRS. Also, be prepared the refund amount that states what you are receiving maybe lower that what it is
PATH has been lifted, but its still showing when I check the refund status. I filed on January 24 and it was accepted the day of Jan 24th, but others have a status now and know when they get their refund.
I filed mine on January 23rd,first it had an accepted bar then went to the PATH paragraph..and now when I check it’s still saying the same thing..Shoot if path has been lifted then those of us who filed earlier should be the first to know when we got our money deposited..
I filed mine same day and it will be out tomorrow 2/23/2023
Girl!! Wys !! Tags it tells me that Mom was accepted on the 15th of January and that the IRS accepted it on the 17th I had one bar and then when the path that came through I’ve still have the path act when I go on IRS to my transcript it tells me the 27th is my processing date which should be today so if it doesn’t come today I don’t know what else to do but try to contact the IRS because last year mom was here before then and I always file early every year so if it’s just a glitch this year then I guess it’s just a glitch but it really pisses me off that you file early to get your money early and like you said we don’t get our money
I have 02/20/2023 and no update yet
me either whats going on
I filled and I didn’t claim EIC but I did have to fill out the form for health insurance and they have me under the PATH act. Is it because I got health insurance last year?
Filed on 27th. Didnt claim either of the credits but my status says held up due to PATH? .. ????
That is just the message that comes up for Tax topic 152 so there are other reasons it’s being held other than just Those two reasons which the rest are missing information or something spelled incorrect..You can log into your irs acct And pull ur tax record transcript and see the codes they have put and u get the reason it is being held
I filed 01/25, no EIC, just dependents, it showed accepted, approved and even refunded to bank by 05/06. Now site says take action and call. My transcript shows codes that it was refunded and rejected by bank. I called IRS today, she said those codes mean nothing on my transcript, that my account is frozen because of the PATH act, I filed to early. How in the world did they send my refund, it shows on 05/03, refund sent, 05/06 refund cancelled. So they sent it, realized they shouldn’t have, then cancelled it, and now it’s on hold?? Isn’t that their fault for sending it early? Not mine for filing? I have always been told you can file but it won’t be accepted until a certain date. So IRS told me you aren’t suppose to file till after 02/15 or they can freeze it.. told me it may be months now… and why.. cause they made an error and sent it early? Unbelievable!
Hmm…strange. You can file anytime after Jan 1st. But IRS only started processing after Jan 23rd. Are you sure this is for your 2022 return and not a prior year or amended return?
You also may have been flagged for id or security checks which freezes your return.
I had to mail my taxes this year because it would not accept my AGI, I went through turbo tax, Mailed on January 29 2022, shows nothing, got my state in record time. Calling the phone number to talk to a human is a joke, how do I know they even recieved it??
I filed on 1/27/22, IRS accepted on 1/27…Got a notice on wmr telling me to reference number 1121 when I called… took 3 weeks to get a human only to tell me I wasn’t even in my timeframe and that the reason I couldn’t get an update was because I checked wmr too much!?? Then I got a letter last week saying they had adjusted my refund due to the recovery rebate but it didn’t change the amount WHATSOEVER! There wasn’t anything to correct or adjust but now they say another 4 to 6 weeks before I’ll receive my refund! So sick of them holding my money! Kept me strung along ALL year last year waiting for my 3rd stimulus and now this!! Can anybody suggest a way to get my $$$$ before June??
Don’t worry you receive your refund by this month end 28th..
What does IRS reference number 1121 mean? The reference number means that your return is being reviewed. there is a system that automatically flags returns when something is out of the ordinary, and the return will be queued for review by a human. This can or cannot result in more investigation by the IRS.
See this article for what code 1121 means your refund is frozen due to outstanding Form 2290, Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax Return. This means the IRS is likely doing to do an offset on your refund which will lower or eliminate.
Because it may require a manual review the processing could take longer than the standard 21 days
I was on the path act and it says approve and I still haven’t received
You should hopefully be in the next batch. Which is March 11
.one says psyh sct then it says bring held due to back tax obligation I never file taxes so y I’d this happening I have no money and my c at broke down I needed that to be able to get different car no×I lost my job what can I fo
Same here
I EFILED on January 26th and was accepted on January 27,2022,I do have direct deposit and the EITC,mine has been on still proscessing for 3 weeks, march 1st came and went, still being proscessed, with tt 152 at the bottom,I have received no letters,no messages requesting more information, nothing, no bars,heading for homelessness,I don’t think they really care what we are going through, I don’t have a clue as far as transcrips go,I am very computer illiterate,,the tax place I efiled with has no phone number, makes you pay for even messages for help, I am at my wits end,55,and very desperate and I’ll woman here.
Filed 2/3 on turbotax, return received and accepted per turbo tax same day, stated I would receive my refund on 2/24. Filed both EIC and CTC, never have had issues in the past but I do know that IRS is backed up I just assumed I would have at-least received it by 3/1. I received my state refund on 2/15, WMR just states the “we apologize your refund as been delayed past normal timeframe, continue to check back for more information, we understand your refund is important to you, etc. etc.” message and give the general tax info 152 code. I don’t understand if there isn’t any issues why mine is taking so long for DD. I seen a lot of schedules stating that another PATH batch is being sent out tomorrow 3/4 and i’m crossing my fingers mine is in my bank account tomorrow but still confused as to why it is taking so long when people have already received theres.
Girll yes. Same. Filed on 2/3 with TurboTax. And I claimed the EITC. And nothing yet. I’m irritated. So hopefully tomorrow. And the next batch is
March 11th.
I filed on 01/28/22. Return was accepted, but then the bars on WMR disappeared. WMR only states that my return is processing and a refund date will be provided when available. No tax topic codes. I also have N/A on my 2021 IRS transcripts. I did claim the EITC/ACTC. I also had twins in 2021. Could they be the reason my refund is being delayed? Any information would be extremely helpful!!!
I’m extremely frustrated.. I filed on 2/4 thru H&R Block.. IRS received it same day.. I have N/A by my 2021 transcript and now I have no bars on wmr just a message apologizing stating its taking longer than the 21 day time frame to process my refund?!! What does this mean?? Can’t get anyone on phone with IRS.. plz help!!
See more in this article Tiffany – https://savingtoinvest.com/refund-status-return-processing-has-been-delayed-beyond-the-normal-timeframe/
Unfortunately the IRS is way behind in processing and doing additional reviews. So you just have to wait until they finish processing.
YES, GIRL it’s really irritating. I filled mine at H&R Block on 2/7th and still have not yet seen anything I am with you hopefully I see it later today in my account SINCE now is March 4th.
I submitted my returns on 2/7 and they were recieved the next day. Since then, the bars on WMR have disappeared, and it states my refund is still being processed. On my transcript my cycle number is 20220805, with a processing date of March 14, 2022. On my transcript if you scroll down, I have a code 766 with a dollar amount, a code 768 with a dollar amount, both with dates 4-15-2022. Then I have codes 971 and 570 with a 0 dollar amount with date 3-14-2022, which is the same as my processing date. We get the Child Tax Credit and EITC, but all of these future dates are so confusing. Does anyone have any idea what it means?
See these 2 articles, which may help you: https://savingtoinvest.com/what-is-tax-code-tc-570-on-my-irs-transcript-and-will-it-delay-my-refund-account-freeze-or-additional-account-actions-pending
So I filed on the 24th and my transcript shows 570 2/3/2022.
I was reading comments online and only people who filed before the 24th have reported DDs.
I’m confused though is code 570 standard for all EIC filer’s until they have a DD date?
I filed my taxes for child tax credit on January 29 2022 and I checked it today on WMR tool and it’s saying they can’t provide any information can you tell me what’s going on?
Just ongoing processing delays as they reconcile amounts and try and get through manual verification for EIC/CTC items that don’t reconcile with payments made last year. Will likely take some time to clear. See a couple of recent articles I wrote on this (just go to the home page).
#PATH #Tax #refunds now being released. Status updates by 2/19. Payment by 3/1. Hang in there!