PATH Act Delays: IRS Cannot Release EITC/ACTC Refunds Before Mid-February - Stop Claiming Early Payments

I keep seeing posts about people getting their refunds with child tax credits before PATH act is lifted and its making me crazy. This is literally impossible! The IRS cannot release these refunds until after the PATH act date. Don't give people false hope saying you got yours early because the system literally won't allow it. I just checked my Return Transcript for Tax year 2024, and it clearly states right there on the IRS website: "The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act says that if you claim the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit, the IRS cannot issue the refund before mid-February. This applies to the entire refund, even the portion not associated with these credits." So people claiming they already got their refunds with EITC or ACTC are either confused or not telling the truth. The IRS systems are programmed to hold these refunds - it's not a choice, it's literally built into their processing system! When I check my refund status, it shows: - Return: Received - Refund: Approved - Refund Sent: (blank) And there's a big notification telling me "You can check the status of your refund on Where's My Refund starting in mid- to late February. The website is updated once a day and is the best way to check the status of your refund." There's even a "Helpful Information" section that directs me to "Tax Topic 152, Refund Information" for more details. The site clearly notes: "For refund information, please continue to check here, or use our free mobile app, IRS2Go. Updates to refund status are made no more than once a day." So please stop with the "I got my refund early" posts. The IRS system literally prevents this from happening if you claimed EITC or ACTC!