Can I receive my tax refund via paper check?
The IRS is moving away from paper checks. You can still opt to receive your IRS refund via paper check, however paper check refunds take significantly longer to process and receive.
What is IRS Notice CP53E?
If you don’t provide your bank info to the IRS when you file, you’ll receive a CP53E notice from the IRS asking for this info. You can either respond to this notice and provide the info, or you can ignore it to receive your refund as a check at least 6 weeks later.
Once you receive the CP53E notice, you have 30 days to add or update your direct deposit info.
IRS Notice CP53E is sent to taxpayers who either:
Are missing valid banking information, or
Have selected the paper check option for their tax refund
How to respond
If you receive a CP53E notice from the IRS:
Sign in to your IRS Online Account within 30 days.
If you don’t have an account, follow these steps to create one.
Add or update your bank account information for direct deposit.
Receive your refund via direct deposit.
Note: You must use your IRS Online Account to respond. The IRS will not accept banking info over the phone. Additionally, you won’t be able to update/add this info in TurboTax once you file.
How long will it take to receive my refund if I don't respond to my notice?
If you don't respond to the CP53E notice, here’s what to expect:
Letter from the IRS—Initial notification
CP53E notice—30-day window to update your banking information
Extended processing—at least 6 weeks after the notice period expires
What if I miss the response deadline?
If you don't provide updated banking information within the 30-day window, the IRS will issue your refund as a paper check after 6 weeks.
