Tax return 2026 bank error

[Prh1985]

What do I do if I already filed my 2026 tax return and gave a closed bank account number ?

[VolvoGirl · Accepted solution]

If the bank rejects the deposit they will send it back to the IRS.  Then the IRS will mail a check to the address on your return.  

[Prh1985]

Thank you. Also,when the IRS recieves the returned funds by the closed bank, how long will it take for the IRS to send me the check?

[mesquitebean]

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@Prh1985 wrote:

Thank you. Also,when the IRS recieves the returned funds by the closed bank, how long will it take for the IRS to send me the check?

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New this year:

If the bank rejects the payment and sends it back to the IRS, then be aware of a new IRS feature that started this year.   Because of a recent Executive Order, the IRS is trying to avoid issuing paper checks and phasing them out whenever possible.

Starting this year, if a bank sends the refund back to the IRS, a paper check may not automatically be sent.   Instead, it's possible that the refund would be frozen up to 30 days, and the IRS may give you a chance to correct it within that 30 days by using your Online IRS account (or establishing one) to update the deposit information.   The IRS may send you a letter called a CP53E notice.  It may take a couple of weeks to arrive after the initial deposit was returned to the IRS.

IRS:  Understanding your CP53E notice

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-cp53e-notice

If the update in the Online IRS Account is unsuccessful, or if you don't respond to the CP53E notice to update it, the IRS says it will ultimately issue the paper check after 6 weeks have gone by.   There are FAQs about the process on that IRS page I linked above.