These 2 tax credits may delay your refund, IRS warns. What SC taxpayers need to know

The Internal Revenue Service is telling folks upfront — two key tax credits will delay their refund.

They are the Earned Income Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit, which the PATH Act requires the IRS to verify income and identity before a check can be issued.

That means a refund won’t be available until at least March 2.

The Earned Income Tax Credit is available for low-to-moderate income workers and the average refund amount was $2,916 in 2024.

South Carolina Legal Services says the EITC is one of the largest antipoverty programs.

“These credits lifted an estimated 9.1 million people out of poverty, of which more than half were children,” Legal Services said.

The Additional Child Tax Credit is an extra tax credit that allows you to claim and potentially receive a portion of the unused Child Tax Credit as a refund. The Child Tax Credit of $2,200 per child is for taxpayers with dependent children younger than 17 who lived with them for more than half the year.

The ACTC is used to claim at least a portion of this money as a refund. The refundable amount is up to $1,700 per child if you owe no taxes.

To get your refund by March 2 you must file online, receive the refund by direct deposit and there were no issues with your return.

This story was originally published February 13, 2026 at 5:30 AM with the headline "These 2 tax credits may delay your refund, IRS warns. What SC taxpayers need to know."