IRS to Phase Out Paper Tax Refund Checks

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IRS In Audio

Internal Revenue Service

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1 day ago

Stay informed about the latest IRS news and updates in audio—without the hassle of digging through the website. IRS in Audio transforms official IRS announcements, policy changes, and tax-related guidance into easy-to-digest audio segments. Each episode provides accurate, timely audio information directly from the IRS, helping you stay compliant, save time, and avoid costly mistakes.

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IRS to Phase Out Paper Tax Refund Checks

IRS In Audio

3 minutes 13 seconds

1 month ago

IRS to Phase Out Paper Tax Refund Checks

IRS to Phase Out Paper Tax Refund Checks

📢 Key Update:

Starting Sept. 30, 2025, the IRS (with Treasury) will phase out paper tax refund checks for individual taxpayers, per Executive Order 14247.
This is the first step in a broader transition to electronic payments.

💡 Why the Change?

Protect taxpayers: Paper checks are 16x more likely to be lost, stolen, altered, or delayed than electronic refunds.
Faster refunds: Direct deposit refunds usually arrive in <21 days; mailed checks may take 6+ weeks.
Cut costs: Processing electronic payments is cheaper and more efficient.

👩‍👩‍👧 Impact on Taxpayers:

Filing unchanged — taxpayers continue filing as usual.
Refunds go digital — mostly via direct deposit or other secure methods.
For the unbanked: Options will include prepaid debit cards or digital wallets.
Act now: IRS urges taxpayers to have valid banking info or consider opening a low-cost/free account (FDIC GetBanked, MyCreditUnion.gov).

📊 Context:

In the 2025 tax season, IRS issued 93.5M refunds → 93% by direct deposit, only 7% by paper check.

🔜 Next Steps:

Executive Order 14247 also applies to payments made to the IRS (like taxes owed) — current systems remain until new guidance is issued.
IRS will publish detailed filing/payment guidance before the 2026 season.
Updates will be posted on IRS.gov and shared nationwide.

👉 Bottom Line: Paper refund checks are ending. The IRS is going digital to boost security, speed, and savings, with special support to help unbanked taxpayers transition smoothly.