If you’re one who files tax returns every year and are hoping to get your refund early in 2026, be cautious. Things have changed a bit this time around; even before the 2026 tax season begins, there are indications that people may experience a slight delay in receiving their refunds.
This time the delay in getting a refund will not be limited to those who file their return late or whose return has some mistake; it is expected that even those who have filed electronically may face a delay in getting their refund, as all their details will be accurate.
The IRS has faced a variety of problems in recent years, including fewer staff, a backlog of old files, technical changes, and more stringent verification processes. You may be wondering why refunds might be delayed this time, when everything is online. Read this article thoroughly to get the answer.
What are the reasons for the IRS refund delay in 2026?
The 2026 IRS refund is going to be delayed due to multiple reasons, which include staff shortage, backlog returns, tax rules and system changes, extra review, and on-paper filing. Each one is explained below; to learn about them, please go through the following points.
Staff Shortage
The biggest reason is the Internal Revenue Service’s workforce decline. Over the past few years, the organization has lost a significant portion of its staff. This has slowed processes, left work unfinished, and fueled a growing number of complaints.
The IRS has to process millions of returns every year. Earlier, there used to be adequate staff to review these files, cross-verify them, initiate processing, and release refunds, but due to this shortage, the time taken by every state has increased significantly.
In 2025, it took a maximum of 21 days for the refund to be received after filing electronically. However, this time is likely to increase by about 7 to 10 days in 2026. It remains to be seen how much delay there is in receiving the tax refund this year.
Backlog Returns
At present, the Internal Revenue Service may have hundreds of thousands of old-season tax returns, paper files, and revised returns, or we may not be able to see them, but this has a direct impact on our returns also.
As soon as the 2026 tax return begins, the IRS starts receiving more files. Therefore, older files are not set aside but are processed first, after which the recent tax returns are processed. This also causes a delay in refund.
This impacts the most on taxpayers who have done paper filing, revised filings, or made changes in their returns. If you don’t want to be affected by this, it is better to file your return electronically in the initial stage.
Tax Rules & System Changes
Whenever there is a change in tax law or credit policies, the IRS has to update its software, tax forms, digital systems, and verification algorithms. The One Beautiful Bill Act, signed in July 2025 but applicable from 1 January 2025, has made many changes.
We all know that our taxpayer system is quite large, so updating it takes time. Every year, the tax season starts in the third week of January, but this year, due to some changes in the OBBBA, there may be a slight delay in the tax return processing.
Extra Review
The IRS processes certain tax returns as high risk, including those where the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit is claimed. This also includes those in which the income was previously inaccurate or there was some other mistake.
These returns are manually verified for fraud prevention purposes. The Internal Revenue Service loses billions of dollars each year to fraud, so these claims are subject to extra layers of review to prevent fraud.
On-paper Filing
From tax season 2026, the IRS refund will be released only through direct deposit. No paper checks will be issued. Those who file their returns on paper will have to wait longer this year, which could be around 10 weeks.
As per the normal return timeline, a refund is received within 6 weeks of on-paper filing, but since the conditions are different this time, it is possible that taxpayers may have to wait longer than the estimated time to receive their refund.
Disclaimer: IRS refund delay information for 2026 is for general awareness only. Official timelines and updates are determined by the IRS.