Tax filing season opens on January 23 but in certain cases, it may take a lot longer for you to get your refund this year. Under a federal law passed in 2015, the IRS is now required to hold refunds for anyone claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Children Tax Credit until February 15th. According to the IRS, the delay will give the agency "more time to help detect and prevent fraud." But local officials say it's low to middle income New Yorkers who'll end up paying the price.

"They usually rely on getting their refund around end of January or early February to pay their overdue bills and this delay will actually end up causing them more harm," said taxpayer advocate Eunkyong Choi.

The fear is that any delay will leave low-income taxpayers more vulnerable to predatory tactics and scams — particularly early refund anticipation loans which may be marketed in other ways.

"What they are saying we can get you your refund faster or we can delay your payment to us and they won't disclose the fees they are charging you," said Department of Consumer Affairs Commissioner Lorelai Salas.

Those fees can be charged at every step of the process: delay fees, set up fees, account fees — all of them eating away at your refund.

"So it's important that the consumer is prepared, asks the right questions and asks for an estimate," Salas said. "At the very beginning before they start doing the process say I need to know how much money this is going to cost me."

Now one way to avoid paying any unnecessary fees or any fees at all is to utilize the city's free tax preparation services, which are available to households making $64,000 or less.

Hundreds of VITA sites will open across the five boroughs in mid-January. They cannot get you your money sooner, but then again, neither can anyone else.

"No one can get this refund by law until February 15 so anyone who is offering you something before that, there's a catch to that," Salas said

For more information on what to look for and avoid, you can consult the DCA's consumer bill of rights regarding tax preparers.