01/12/2026
The IRS has announced that paper tax refund checks for individual taxpayers will begin being phased out on September 30, 2025, as part of a broader transition to electronic payments. According to the agency, paper checks are more than 16 times as likely to be lost, stolen, or delayed compared with direct deposit.
Electronic refunds also provide quicker access to funds, typically within 21 days for those who file electronically with direct deposit, while paper checks may take six weeks or longer to arrive by mail.
Most taxpayers already receive refunds digitally, but additional options—including prepaid debit cards and digital wallets—will be available for those who do not have traditional bank accounts. Further guidance will be issued ahead of the 2026 filing season as the transition continues.
IR-2025-94, Sept. 23, 2025 — The Internal Revenue Service, working with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, today announced that paper tax refund checks for individual taxpayers will be phased out beginning on Sept. 30, 2025, as required by Executive Order 14247, to the extent permitted by law.
