IRS Direct Deposit 2026 Dates: The IRS has started processing the tax refund for tax year 2025 from January 26, 2026. Many individuals who e-filed their taxes in the beginning period have already received their federal tax refund direct deposit, and many more are going to get it in the next few days.
According to the IRS, it takes only about four weeks to receive a refund after filing electronically. By reading this article thoroughly, you can find out when you will receive your tax refund direct deposit. We have also included other information related to tax refunds.
IRS Direct Deposit 2026 Dates
The IRS started the electronic filing process for tax year 2025 on January 9, 2026. The tax season officially began on January 26, 2026, meaning they started processing returns from that date. Those whose federal tax returns were approved on this date received their refunds on January 31, 2026.
If you have filed your 2026 IRS tax return electronically and have not yet received your refund, you can check the table below to find out when you can expect to receive your direct deposit refund.
| Filed | Approved | Sent |
| January 9 to 15 | January 26 to 30 | January 31 to February 4 |
| January 16 to 22 | January 31 to February 6 | February 5 to February 11 |
| January 23 to 29 | February 7 to February 12 | February 13 to February 18 |
| January 30 to February 5 | February 13 to February 18 | February 19 to February 24 |
| February 6 to 12 | February 19 to February 24 | February 25 to March 2 |
| February 13 to 19 | February 25 to March 2 | March 3 to March 8 |
| February 20 to 26 | March 3 to March 8 | March 9 to March 14 |
| February 27 to March 5 | March 9 to March 14 | March 15 to March 20 |
| March 6 to 12 | March 15 to March 20 | March 21 to March 26 |
| March 13 to 19 | March 21 to March 26 | March 27 to April 1 |
| March 20 to 26 | March 27 to April 1 | April 2 to April 7 |
| March 27 to April 2 | April 3 to April 8 | April 9 to April 14 |
| April 3 to 9 | April 10 to April 15 | April 16 to April 21 |
| April 10 to 16 | April 17 to April 22 | April 23 to April 28 |
| April 17 to 23 | April 24 to April 29 | April 30 to May 5 |
If you have claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit on your tax return, you will have to wait until March 2, 2026, to receive your refund because processing will begin after February 15, 2026, due to the PATH Act.
Taxpayers who have claimed either one or both of these tax credits will be able to track their refund status starting February 21, 2026. On March 2, 2026, the EITC or ACTC tax refund will be issued to those who e-filed their return by mid-February.
How to check the IRS Direct Deposit Status 2026?
In order to check the 2026 IRS direct deposit status, go through the step-by-step instructions available below.
- Go to the official website of the Internal Revenue Service.
- Click on the ‘Use refund tracker’ option and go to the next page.
- Enter your Social Security Number.
- Choose Tax Year as 2025.
- Opt for filing status as Single, Married-Filing Joint Return, Married-Filing Separate Return, Head of Household, or Qualifying Widow(er)/Surviving Spouse.
- Enter the refund amount.
- Click on the Submit button.
After going through the step-by-step instructions above, you will successfully have checked if your tax refund is received, approved, or sent.
Notes:
- If the Internal Revenue Service has approved your tax return, the refund date will be displayed.
- Typically, the refund is received in the bank account within four hours of being released. However, technically, you may have to wait up to 72 hours.
What if the 2026 IRS tax refund is delayed?
The Internal Revenue Service has officially confirmed that it takes a maximum of four weeks to receive a refund after filing electronically. If your refund is not approved within four weeks, you should contact the IRS as soon as possible.
If it takes longer than expected to receive your tax refund, the first thing you should do is check the status of your tax refund and find out if the Internal Revenue Service has approved it. If it has been approved, you will receive the refund date.
