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2026 PATH Act refund schedule

Estimated arrival windows by acceptance week.
Every range is a planning example, including the later edge.

Read the EITC / ACTC column for PATH examples. The mid-February hold applies to the whole refund.

View the ordinary season guide
Planning windows, not an IRS payment schedule
Accepted duringDirect deposit estimateWith EITC / ACTCEligible check estimate
Jan 26 – Feb 1Feb 5 – Feb 23Feb 17 – Mar 2Feb 12 – Mar 9
Feb 2 – Feb 8Feb 12 – Mar 2Feb 17 – Mar 2Feb 20 – Mar 16
Feb 9 – Feb 15Feb 19 – Mar 9Feb 19 – Mar 9Feb 26 – Mar 23
Feb 16 – Feb 22Feb 26 – Mar 16Feb 26 – Mar 16Mar 5 – Mar 30
Feb 23 – Mar 1Mar 5 – Mar 23Mar 5 – Mar 23Mar 12 – Apr 6
Mar 2 – Mar 8Mar 12 – Mar 30Mar 12 – Mar 30Mar 19 – Apr 13
Mar 9 – Mar 15Mar 19 – Apr 6Mar 19 – Apr 6Mar 26 – Apr 20
Mar 16 – Mar 22Mar 26 – Apr 13Mar 26 – Apr 13Apr 2 – Apr 27
Mar 23 – Mar 29Apr 2 – Apr 20Apr 2 – Apr 20Apr 9 – May 4
Mar 30 – Apr 5Apr 9 – Apr 27Apr 9 – Apr 27Apr 16 – May 11
Apr 6 – Apr 12Apr 16 – May 4Apr 16 – May 4Apr 23 – May 18
Apr 13 – Apr 19Apr 23 – May 11Apr 23 – May 11Apr 30 – May 26
Apr 20 – Apr 26Apr 30 – May 18Apr 30 – May 18May 7 – Jun 2
Apr 27 – Apr 30May 7 – May 21May 7 – May 21May 14 – Jun 5

How to read the dates

Each row takes the earliest example for the first day of the acceptance week and the latest example for its last day. The same estimator builds both the chart and individual results.

The direct-deposit example uses a 10–21 calendar-day processing illustration, then moves the posting edges away from weekends and observed federal holidays. The ten-day lower edge is our assumption; the IRS publishes no guaranteed minimum.

Paper checks are being phased out. The check column applies only to a payment issued under an exception and adds an assumed 5–10 business days for mail.

The PATH difference

A return claiming EITC or ACTC has a whole-refund hold until mid-February. The model’s February 16 floor is conservative and illustrative. For early uncomplicated direct-deposit cases, published guidance is Mar 2, 2026. Some refunds arrive earlier.

Use your exact acceptance date

Start with your acceptance date

No personal tax details
For paper, use IRS receipt—not mailing.
PATH credits and bank posting options
Planning example for these choices

Feb 17 – Mar 2, 2026

Direct deposit. An estimate, never a guarantee.

See how the window is built
February 2026Estimate

Window continues through Mar 2, 2026.

Questions you might have

Why does the window begin at 10 days?

It is a planning choice, not an IRS minimum. The IRS publishes typical guidance rather than a guaranteed earliest deposit.

Is the later edge a deadline for the IRS?

No. The IRS’s 21-day guidance covers most e-file refunds; some take longer. The paper model has no official maximum.

Why move dates off a holiday?

To illustrate bank posting using the OPM calendar. Individual institutions may follow different schedules.

What happens to 2027 examples?

The season opening is not set in the data. A projected chart start is labelled separately, and the model does not pretend the IRS has announced it.

Does the bank allowance change processing time?

No. It extends only our later posting edge after the processing example.

Sources: season announcement, IRS refunds, PATH guidance, OPM holidays. See every assumption.