IRS ceases paper checks

Taxpayers will no longer receive paper refund checks in the mail. Effective Sept. 30, the secretary of the Treasury is no longer going to be issuing paper checks for federal disbursements and will no longer accept paper checks as payment.

Instead, the IRS will issue refunds through direct deposit to a bank account, prepaid debit cards, or other approved electronic payment options. If you currently receive your refund as a paper check, you will need to provide your bank routing and account numbers, or arrange for another electronic method, to ensure timely payment.

Additionally, taxpayers will no longer be able to send paper checks for estimated tax payments or balances due. If you currently mail in checks for quarterly estimates or year-end tax liabilities, you will need to transition to one of the IRS’s approved electronic payment methods.