Why the IRS is moving away from paper checks.
Executive Order 14247, signed in March 2025, directed Treasury to stop issuing paper checks where the law allows, starting September 30, 2025. The IRS questions and answers on the order explain how refunds work now: give bank account details on the return, and the refund arrives electronically.
If you do not have a bank account, the IRS points to certain mobile apps and prepaid debit cards that can receive deposits, and it allows limited exceptions.
What happens if your return has no bank details.
The IRS mails a CP53E notice asking for a way to pay you electronically. You have 30 days to respond. Without a response, the refund goes out as a paper check after six weeks. Putting correct routing and account numbers on the return avoids that delay entirely.
EITC and ACTC refunds wait until mid-February.
By law, the IRS cannot issue refunds that include the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit before mid-February. The hold covers the whole refund, not just the credit. Filing in late January is still worth it; the refund simply waits in line until the release date.
Protect the return with an IP PIN.
An Identity Protection PIN is a six-digit number that keeps anyone else from filing a return with your Social Security number. Anyone who can verify their identity can get one, and a new PIN is issued each year. If you have one, bring the current year's PIN to your tax appointment.
Tracking federal and North Carolina refunds.
The IRS says Where's My Refund? shows status 24 hours after an e-filed return and about four weeks after a paper return. You need your Social Security number or ITIN, filing status, and the exact whole-dollar refund amount.
North Carolina offers direct deposit for e-filed returns and mails a check when a refund cannot be deposited. The state also has its own Where's My Refund? tool on the Department of Revenue site.
When the 2027 filing season opens.
As of late October 2026, the IRS had not announced the 2027 opening date. The 2026 season opened January 26, 2026. Our 2026 deadline guide lists the dates that are already set.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions you may have.
Will the IRS still mail paper refund checks?
Only in limited cases. If a return has no bank information, the IRS sends a CP53E notice, and if you do not respond within 30 days, it issues a paper check after six weeks.
Why is my refund held until mid-February?
By law, refunds that include the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit cannot be issued before mid-February. The hold applies to the entire refund.
Can I get a North Carolina refund by direct deposit?
Yes, for individual returns that are e-filed. Paper and amended returns receive a check.