2019 refund check sent to old address - can I get a direct deposit instead?

[Larry_Sideways]

Hello,

My wife is currently awaiting the process for her immigration to the UK to complete. Until recently she had been living with a relative, but it became apparent that the relative was becoming exceptionally abusive towards her, so I moved her into temporary accommodation on short notice. We think the immigration will complete any day now, and she will be traveling to the UK shortly afterwards.

Of course, this is the moment when the IRS finally send her 2019 tax refund, and it has gone to the address of the abusive relative. I do not wish my wife to return to that place to collect it (the last time she went there was with police supervision to collect as many of her things that she could carry away) and that relation is not to know her current address, so it is not an option to ask if it can be forwarded. Can anybody suggest the best way we can approach getting the money she is owed? I believe we could possibly contact the IRS to issue a new check. Would they likely send it to our UK address? Is it possible to get it done as a direct deposit to my wife's bank account instead?  I am trying to find a solution that will present the least possible upset and frustration to my wife at a very difficult time.

Any guidance will be very gratefully received.

[xmasbaby0]

The IRS does not allow you to change how you want to receive your refund after you file the tax return.   If you chose a mailed refund check when the tax return was filed then you are stuck with that.   You cannot change to direct deposit now.   If the check goes astray, then you can have it traced and re-issued.  Make sure that you send a change of address to the IRS, and that the post office has a forwarding address for mail.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS 

https://www.irs.gov/faqs/irs-procedures/address-changes/address-changes

Check your IRS account to see if the refund was issued

https://www.irs.gov/payments/view-your-tax-account

If the troublesome relatives do something with the check, or it becomes lost:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/refunds/help/how-do-i-replace-a-lost-or-damaged-tax-refund-check/0...

[Larry_Sideways]

Thank you, I really appreciate the detailed response. Do you think the IRS will be prepared to send the check to our address in the UK? I am assuming they will, seeing as they are quite happy to tax people even when they are earning in a different country.

[xmasbaby0]

No predictions as to whether the IRS will receive and change the records for the new address in time to send it to the UK instead of the address on the tax return.   The IRS is severely backlogged so many things are taking longer than normal.   It usually takes several weeks for them to put a change of address into the system.  Good luck.   (And.....the IRS will not ever make a direct deposit to a foreign bank account.  They will ONLY mail a check to an address in a foreign country if you do not have a U.S. bank account.   So if you or your spouse need to file a 2020 or 2021 return, keep that in mind).

[Larry_Sideways]

Thank you again for your kind and informative reply.

It is mind-boggling to me how inefficient and complicated the US taxation system is. Most people in the UK do not need to file any taxes as they only their employment as earnings and they come under Pay As You Earn, and are deducted automatically, and are now even rebated automatically through the year if you have an unexpected shortfall in your income. If you do need to file, most of it is done through a pretty straight forward online service that suits the majority of people, and you get paid within a few days. To be 2 years down the line, over a year after filing, and to only just receive a paper check is just crackers.