Many mistakes are corrected in processing and a letter of explanation is mailed at the time the refund is issued. If the mistake was not corrected in processing, you need to file an amended or corrected return using Form 1040X (PDF), Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, as soon as possible. Include copies of any schedules that have been changed or any Form W-2 (PDF) you did not include. If you return the refund check with a letter of explanation, a refund in the correct amount will be issued when the IRS processes the amended return.

References:

• Tax Topic 308, Amended Returns

You will need to contact our assistance line at (800) 829-1040 to receive information on the processing of your amended return. Amended/corrected returns are processed as quickly as possible. However, it could take 12 to 16 weeks to process an amended return.

References:

• Form 1040X (PDF), Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return
• Tax Topic 308, Amended Returns

As a condition of your agreement, any refund due you in a future year will be applied against the amount you owe. Therefore, you may not get all of your refund if you owe certain past-due amounts, such as federal tax, state tax, a student loan, or child support. The IRS will automatically apply the refund to the taxes owed. If the refund does not take care of the tax debt; you must continue the installment agreement.

Call the IRS at (800) 829-1954. If your refund check has not been cashed, we can normally provide a replacement within six to eight weeks. You may need to complete a Form 3911 (PDF) Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund, to initiate a claim. If your refund check has been cashed the Financial Management Service (FMS) will provide a claim package which includes a copy of the check. FMS will review the claim and the signature on the cancelled check before determining whether another refund can be issued.

If you need to know whether a federal tax refund check that was issued to you has been cashed, you can call (800) 829-1954 and request Form 3911 (PDF), Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund.

If you are inquiring about a check that was issued to someone other than yourself, the IRS is not allowed under the Privacy Act of 1974 to disclose any information.

References:

• Form 3911 (PDF), Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund

A split refund lets you divide your refund, in any proportion you want, and direct deposit the funds in up to three different accounts with U. S. financial institutions.

Instead of choosing between depositing your refund into a checking or saving account and later moving part of your refund to another account, you can allocate your refund among up to three different accounts and send your money where you want it the first time.

By splitting your refund, you get the convenience of directing some of your refund to your checking account for immediate needs and sending some to savings for future use. Plus, you get the safety and speed of direct deposit, meaning you will have access to your refund faster than if you opt to receive a paper check.

Simply complete and attach Form 8888 (PDF) Direct Deposit of Refund to More Than One Account, Direct Deposit of Refund to More Than One Account, to your federal income tax return to tell IRS how much and to which of your accounts you want your refund deposited.

Yes, you can ask IRS to direct deposit your 2007 refund into one account, or split it among two or three different accounts. The choice is yours.

If you want your refund deposited into one account, use the special direct deposit lines on your tax return (Forms 1040, 1040A, etc.). If you want your refund deposited to two or three accounts, use Form 8888, Direct Deposit of Refund to More Than One Account.

Your deposit to each account must be at least $1.00.

Yes, you can split your refund among up to three different U.S. financial institutions as long as they will accept a direct deposit to your account.

No, you can split your refund whether you file electronically or on paper. However, IRS recommends using e-file to avoid simple mistakes that could change the amount of your refund, and therefore the amount available for deposit.

No, you cannot split your refund between a direct deposit and paper check. You can either opt for the safety, security and speed of direct deposit to one, two, or three separate accounts or request your refund via a paper check.

You can ask IRS to direct deposit a refund on a joint return into your account, your spouse's account, or a joint account. However, state and financial institution rules can vary and you should first verify your financial institution will accept a joint refund into an individual account.

You should ensure your financial institution accepts direct deposits to prior year IRA accounts.

As with all IRA deposits, the account owner is responsible for informing their IRA trustee of the year for which the deposit is intended and for ensuring their contributions do not exceed their annual contribution limitations. IRS direct deposits of federal tax refunds will not indicate a contribution year for IRA accounts.

If you fail to notify your IRA trustee of the intended year for the deposit, your trustee can assume the deposit is for 2007.

IRS is not responsible for the timeliness or contribution amounts related to an IRA direct deposit. Since an error on your return or an offset to your refund could change the amount of refund available for deposit (for more information, see Are there conditions that could change the amount of my direct deposits?) you must verify the deposit was actually made to the account by the due date of the return (without regard to extensions) and the deposit amount. If the deposit is not made into your account by the due date of the return (without regard to extensions), the deposit is a contribution for 2007, rather than 2006. You must file an amended 2006 return and reduce any IRA deduction and any retirement savings contributions credit you claimed.

No, you can direct your refund to either a checking or savings account; you cannot opt for a direct deposit into a loan account.

Tax preparation fees could vary. Ask your tax professional about his/her fees up front.

There are several factors that could change the amount of your tax refund - resulting in either a larger or smaller refund than expected. Examples that could increase your refund are math errors and other mistakes. Examples that could decrease your refund include math errors, mistakes, owing delinquent federal taxes, state taxes, child support, student loans, or other delinquent federal obligations or if the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) portion of your refund is withheld pending further review.

For additional information, see What if a mistake on my return increases the amount of my refund?, What if I owe back taxes to IRS?, How will IRS handle my split refund deposits if the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) portion of my refund is withheld pending further review? Are there other conditions that could reduce the amount of my refund and change the amount I want deposited to each account? and What will happen if I owe both back taxes to IRS and back child support, state taxes, student loans, etc?

You will receive a letter from IRS explaining why a portion of your refund was withheld, the effect on your direct deposit(s), and what information you need to provide to verify your EITC eligibility. If IRS later determines you are eligible to receive the credit, the agency will deposit the amount withheld into the first account you designated on Form 8888.

Be very careful; entering your account and routing numbers. IRS will handle account or routing number errors on split refunds the same as for regular direct deposits and mistakes can result in several different scenarios. For example, if:

• You omit a digit in the account or routing number of an account and the number does not pass IRS' validation check, IRS will send you a paper check for the entire refund;
• You incorrectly enter an account or routing number and your designated financial institution rejects and returns the deposit to IRS, IRS will issue a paper check for that portion of your refund; or
• You incorrectly enter an account or routing number that belongs to someone else and your designated financial institution accepts the deposit, you must work directly with the respective financial institution to recover your funds.

IRS assumes no responsibility for taxpayer error. Please, verify your account and routing numbers with your financial institution and double check the accuracy of the numbers you enter on your return.

First, check with your financial institution to ensure they will accept a direct deposit for the type of account you are designating. Some financial institutions will accept direct deposits for some types of accounts, but not others.

Second, ensure you have the correct account and routing numbers for the account - ask your financial institution if you are unsure - and double check the accuracy of the numbers you enter on your tax return. An incorrect or transposed number could result in your financial institution rejecting the deposit, or worse, depositing your refund into someone else's account.

Third, double check your return to ensure you have not made math or other errors that could increase or decrease the actual amount of your refund. IRS recommends electronic filing for the most error-free return.

IRS will correct any agency errors. Contact an IRS customer service representative by calling 1-800-829-1040.

Yes, you can check the status of a split refund using the Where My Refund? feature available on IRS.gov or by calling IRS' Refund Hotline at 1-800-829-1954. Where's My Refund? will include a message confirming that your refund was split. It will not specify the amount deposited into each account, but it will tell you the estimated date of the deposits and, if IRS adjusted the amount of your refund for math errors, etc., will tell you the amount of the adjustment.

Yes, you can split your refund on any original return, even if you have an extension of time to file your return.

No refund splitting is not available for tax years before 2006. You can opt to direct deposit your 2005 refund into either your checking or saving account, but you cannot split this refund among two or three accounts.