What if i put the wrong bank account number on my tax return

I e-filed a return with the wrong bank information on the DD screen. What can I do?

Once a return has been e-filed, it cannot be retrieved or removed. If either the bank routing number or account number is incorrect on an e-filed return,

• If it has not been accepted, contact the IRS. See "IRS and Tax Related Contact Phone Numbers"in Related Links below.
• If it has been accepted, and the destination bank
  • rejects the direct deposit, the taxpayer will receive a check from the IRS.
  • accepts the direct deposit, the taxpayer should contact that bank to determine how to proceed to recover the deposit.

Notes:

• The correct routing and account numbers must be provided for the direct deposit to be accepted and correctly deposited to the taxpayer’s account. The IRS does not accept responsibility for lost refunds if the account information is incorrectly entered. Per the IRS:

"Refunds that are not Direct Deposited because of institutional refusal, erroneous account or routing transit numbers, closed accounts, bank mergers or any other reason are issued as paper checks, resulting in refund delays of up to ten weeks. While the IRS ordinarily processes a request for Direct Deposit, it reserves the right to issue a paper check and does not guarantee a specific date for deposit of the refund into the taxpayer’s account.

Treasury’s Financial Management Service (FMS) issues federal income tax refunds and offsets taxpayers’ refunds to pay off past-due child support or federal agency debts such as student loans. Neither the IRS nor FMS is responsible for the misapplication of a Direct Deposit that results from error, negligence or malfeasance on the part of the taxpayer, the Provider, financial institution or any of their agents."

Handbook for Authorized IRS e-file Providers of Individual Income Tax Returns, page 13.

• If the taxpayer calls IRS regarding a refund before 21 days have passed, the taxpayer will be referred to "Where’s My Refund".

Whether you mailed or e-filed your business tax return, the Internal Revenue Service presents you with two options to receive your refund: direct deposit or a paper check. If you opt for direct deposit, you must provide your bank routing number and account number on your return. If your preparer used the wrong account number on a tax return, the IRS assumes no responsibility for this type of error. The fate of your refund depends on who caught the error: you or the IRS.

IRS Rejects Tax Return

In some cases, if the IRS suspects an error with your routing number or bank account number, it will reject your return. Your preparer should receive rejection code "0019," which indicates an invalid bank account or routing transit number. Instruct your preparer to provide the correct bank and routing number on your tax return and resubmit the forms.

Bank May Catch Error

Once the IRS processes your tax return and issues a refund, it will attempt to deposit the return in the account designated on your income tax return. In most cases, your bank matches the name and Social Security number on the deposit with the information on the account. If the information doesn't match, your bank will either reject the direct deposit from the IRS or deposit the money in the correct account.

If the bank doesn't perform this security check and the account on your tax return matches an actual account of another person, the refund might appear on the other person's account. If your bank accepts the deposit but you don't see a refund in your account by the date specified by the IRS, contact your bank to investigate the problem, Drake Software suggests.

IRS Issues Paper Check

If the IRS discovers the error after processing your return or your bank rejects the deposit, the IRS will issue you a paper check for your refund. A paper check can take up to several weeks to arrive. Once you receive the check, you can deposit it into your bank account. Depending on your bank procedure, it could take several days for the check to clear and to gain access to the funds.

Avoid Future Problems

Although you paid a preparer to file your income taxes, it is your personal responsibility to double-check the information on the return. Once you sign the tax return, you guarantee that the information on the return is accurate to the best of your knowledge. The only time a preparer is responsible for an error is when the preparer discovers the error and fails to inform the client.

Some reputable preparers and tax preparation organizations will verify account information and fix any errors if caught before filing, but it is considered your fault that you did not discover the error when reviewing your return before final submission. When filling out your taxes, have a blank check on hand to verify your routing and bank account numbers. Always verify the numbers two or three times to ensure the information you provided is accurate and avoid a delay in receiving your refund.

How do I correct an incorrect bank account number on my tax return?

What if I entered the wrong bank account for direct deposit?

Can I change my direct deposit information with the IRS after filing?

How long does it take the IRS to send a check after bank rejected?