They will process tax returns that include the Child Tax Credit on the normal filing schedule, but refunds that involve the Child Tax Credit (and Earned Income Tax Credit) are held longer than other refunds by law, usually until around early March each year.

Key timing for 2025 returns (filed in early 2026)

  • The IRS opened the 2026 filing season for 2025 tax returns in late January 2026.
  • If you claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC), your entire refund is subject to a mandatory hold until midā€‘February so the IRS can run antiā€‘fraud checks.
  • For the 2026 season, the IRS has said most refunds for returns that include EITC or ACTC should show up in bank accounts or on debit cards by about March 2, as long as you eā€‘file, choose direct deposit, and there are no issues with your return.

What ā€œprocessingā€ looks like

  • Your return can show as ā€œacceptedā€ or ā€œprocessingā€ for several weeks even though nothing is wrong, especially if you claimed the Child Tax Credit or EITC.
  • The IRS cannot legally release those refunds before midā€‘February, so status may not change to an approved/refundā€‘sent date until late February.
  • Once the hold lifts and your refund is approved, many people see their money within about 10ā€“21 days if they used direct deposit and there are no extra reviews.

Rough date expectations if you claimed Child Tax Credit

These are typical patterns, not guarantees:

  • File in late January, eā€‘file, direct deposit, no issues: refund with Child Tax Credit often arrives late February to early March (around March 2 is a common target date mentioned for EITC/ACTC refunds).
  • File in February: similar timing but can slide into midā€‘March.
  • Paper returns or returns flagged for review can take much longer.

Quick checklist if youā€™re waiting

  1. Make sure you eā€‘filed and chose direct deposit; thatā€™s the fastest way to be paid.
  1. Use ā€œWhereā€™s My Refund?ā€ on IRS.gov once it has been at least 24 hours since eā€‘filing; that tool will update with a projected deposit date once your refund is approved.
  1. If it has been more than 21 days since eā€‘file acceptance (and youā€™re past early March) with no update, you may need to contact the IRS or check your online account transcript for any notices or additional verification requests.

In plain terms: if your 2025 return has a Child Tax Credit, expect normal ā€œprocessingā€ through February and plan on your refund hitting in early March 2026 if everything is clean and you used direct deposit.