Due to changes in the law, the IRS can’t issue refunds before February 15, 2017, for returns that claim the earned income credit or the additional child tax credit.

This delay applies to the entire refund, not just the portion associated with these credits. Although the IRS will begin releasing refunds for returns that claim these credits on February 15, because of the time it generally takes banking or financial systems to process deposits, it is unlikely that your refund will arrive in your bank account or on a debit card before the week of February 27 (assuming your return has no processing issues and you elect direct deposit).

If you filed your return before February 15, you can check Where’s My Refund on IRS.gov (IRS.gov/refunds) a few days after February 15 for your projected deposit date. Where’s My Refund and the IRS2Go phone app remain the best ways to check the status of any refund.