The IRS is phasing out paper checks for tax refunds as of September 30, 2025, in favor of direct deposit to speed up payments and increase security. While most taxpayers will receive electronic payments, a paper check may still be issued if you do not provide bank information or if a direct deposit fails.
Once a taxpayer files their tax return, they want to know when they'll receive their refund. The most convenient way to check on a tax refund is by using the Where's My Refund? tool on IRS.gov.
Any time the IRS sends a check, they also send a separate letter explaining the reason for the check. If you question the validity of the check, wait for the second letter to arrive, it should arrive in just a few days. Give it 2 weeks.
Due to the presidential executive order, Modernizing Payments To and From America's Bank Account the IRS is phasing out paper tax refund checks. The IRS encourages taxpayers who do not have a bank account to open one so they can receive refunds by direct deposit.
No, the IRS is not issuing new $1400 stimulus checks; the final pandemic-era payments for the Recovery Rebate Credit (the third stimulus) were sent out by early 2025 to eligible people who missed them by filing their 2021 return by the April 2025 deadline. While payments were made in late 2024 and early 2025, that was the final opportunity, and any current claims of new stimulus checks are likely scams or misinformation, as Congress has not approved any new federal stimulus programs.
Single filers: You qualify for the full $1,400 if your AGI in 2021 was $75,000 or less. The credit begins to decrease for incomes over $75,000 and is fully phased out at $80,000. Married filing jointly: You qualify for the full $2,800 (for two people) if your combined AGI in 2021 was $150,000 or less.
Use the IRS Where's My Refund tool or the IRS2Go mobile app to check your refund online. This is the fastest and easiest way to track your refund. The systems are updated once every 24 hours. You can contact the IRS to check on the status of your refund.
The legislation will give single adults who reported adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less on their 2019 tax returns a one-time check for $1,200. Married couples who filed jointly will receive $2,400. Families will get an additional $500 for each child under 17.
U.S. Department of the Treasury.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Some people received refund checks from the IRS even though they were told they owed them money. Is it simply just a nice surprise or a mistake? One tax expert says it could be the result of an error in completing the return, so the IRS corrected it and sent a refund.
If you receive an unexpected IRS refund check or direct deposit payment, this could be a red flag. The IRS typically does not issue refunds without prior communication. You can verify your status by logging into your IRS account on their official website.
Here's an estimated IRS refund schedule: E-file and direct deposit1: Up to 3 weeks (21 days) E-file and mailed paper refund check2: Up to 3 weeks (21 days) Paper file and direct deposit or mailed paper refund check3: 6 to 8 weeks (42 to 56 days)
The IRS $600 rule refers to a change in reporting requirements for third-party payment apps (like Venmo, PayPal) for taxable income from goods and services, where platforms must send a Form 1099-K if you receive over $600 in a year, intended to capture gig economy/side hustle income, though delays and phased implementation have adjusted the timeline, with current rules for 2024 using a higher threshold ($5,000) before fully phasing to $600 for future years, but remember all taxable income, regardless of form, must always be reported.
To use Where's My Refund?, taxpayers must enter their Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, their filing status and the exact whole dollar amount of their refund. The IRS updates the tool once a day, usually overnight, so there's no need to check more often.
In rare cases—like system errors, amended returns, or when digital payments fail—the IRS may still mail a paper check. But for most people, checks are being phased out.
To check if you're owed a past stimulus payment, use the IRS.gov website to access your online account and view payment records, or if you missed a payment, see if you're eligible to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 or 2021 tax return, as the "Get My Payment" tool is no longer active for checking status, but the IRS has issued all primary payments.
The IRS is phasing out paper tax refund checks for individual taxpayers, effective September 30, 2025. This change affects the 7% of taxpayers who still receive paper checks, requiring them to switch to an electronic refund method.
To know your tax refund, use online calculators (IRS, TurboTax, H&R Block) to estimate before filing by inputting income, deductions, and credits, while after filing, use the IRS "Where's My Refund?" tool with your SSN, filing status, and exact refund amount for tracking the processed status (received, approved, sent). Your refund is essentially money you overpaid through withholding versus your actual tax bill, so calculators help project this overpayment.
Stimulus payments
"There is no penalty for failure to file if a refund is due. However, a return claiming a refund must be filed within three years of its due date for a refund to be allowed," the IRS noted, meaning that the last day to claim the money is April 15, 2025.
After logging into your account, you can find stimulus check information in the "tax records" section under the "records and status" toolbar. You can also check the "tax records" section to see if you filed a return for 2021.