My federal tax return was mailed to me instead of direct deposit and I'd like to know why that happened.

[dvpmba12]

Nothing

[xmasbaby0]

Only the IRS can answer that.  Maybe you used the wrong banking information for your direct deposit.

[Rainman12]

It's also possible your bank declined the deposit, for any number of reasons (Banks face huge fines for improper refund processing; IRS mailed check is the normal default response). Suggest you take a printed copy of your return's refund instructions to you bank to preclude a recurrence ...

[mesquitebean]

Here's a FAQ from the IRS website:

"FAQ:   I requested a direct deposit refund. Why are you mailing it to me as a paper check?

"There are three possible reasons. They are as follows:

    We (IRS) can only deposit refunds electronically into accounts in your own name, your spouse's name or in a joint account.
    A financial institution may reject a direct deposit.
    We (IRS) can’t deposit more than three electronic refunds into a single financial account."

Source:  https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions