Issue Number: IR-2026-43 Inside This Issue
Tax filing season progressing smoothly with timely refund processing and a high use of electronic filing IR-2026-43, April 2, 2026 WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service continues to deliver excellent service to taxpayers during the 2026 filing season with the rise in tax refunds, the smooth pace at which taxpayers are getting their refunds and the high use of electronic filing. "With less than two weeks left in the filing season, the IRS continues to provide historically outstanding service to taxpayers," said IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Bisignano. "Tens of millions of Americans are getting their refunds direct deposited in their bank accounts and their returns processed promptly without error or delay." Highlights from the 2026 filing season, through March 20: - Over 80 percent of refunds were issued in less than 21 days with an average refund amount of $3,571.
- Over 98 percent of tax refunds have been issued electronically via direct deposit, out of a total of 57 million refunds issued.
- Over 98 percent of returns were filed electronically, out of a total of more than 78 million individual federal income tax returns.
- The average refund is up by more than 10 percent with total refunds now at more than $202 billion.
Get refunds faster by providing banking information The IRS encourages all taxpayers who are expecting a refund to include banking information when they file. Taxpayers who did not provide valid bank information when they filed can use online tools on IRS.gov to provide the necessary information to get their refund faster. Only about one percent of taxpayers received a CP53E notice informing them that their banking information on the return is missing or invalid. Taxpayers do not have to wait to receive the notice to act. They can check the Where's My Refund? tool for next steps and if this situation applies to them, they can use their IRS Individual Online Account to resolve the issue quickly by providing accurate banking information or the reason they cannot. Once updated, the IRS will issue their refund, usually within seven days. For security purposes, IRS employees cannot update bank account information over the phone or in person. What taxpayers need to do After receiving the CP53E notice, they should: - Access or create their IRS Individual Online Account.
- Navigate to:
- "Profile"
- "Banking information"
- "Add bank account"
- Enter and submit their direct deposit information.
- If taxpayers already took action through Where's My Refund or IRS Individual Online Account before they received the notice, they can disregard it.
After updating their information, taxpayers can check the status on IRS.gov, with or without signing into their IRS Individual Online Account. Updates typically appear within a few days. What happens if no action is taken Taxpayers who receive a CP53E notice generally have 30 days from the date on the notice to act. If a taxpayer does not act within the 30-day window, the IRS will issue a paper check six weeks after the date the notice was issued. Direct deposit remains the fastest and most secure way to receive a refund, helping reduce the risk of lost or stolen payments. Across government, paper instruments (e.g., checks and money orders) are far more likely than electronic payments to be lost, stolen, altered, or delayed. What the CP53E notice means Taxpayers may receive a CP53E notice if: - No direct deposit information was included on the tax return, or
- The bank account information provided was incorrect or rejected by the bank.
The notice does not mean the refund is denied. Instead, it means the refund is on hold until the taxpayer acts. What happens if a taxpayer does not have a bank account? Taxpayers who have filed their return without their direct deposit information and qualify for an exception to the direct deposit requirement may review and select the appropriate exception in their IRS Individual Online Account. Limited exceptions to electronic methods are available for specific situations such as those involving hardships, or legal and procedural requirements. Providing exception eligibility information will allow the release of a paper check within one to two weeks. If the taxpayer can't access their IRS Individual Online Account, they can call the toll-free line for assistance with entering an exception to receive a paper check. Consistent with prior years, a paper check generally takes one to three weeks longer to process than a direct deposit. The telephone representative cannot input or update a taxpayer's banking information. More information In response to the executive order, Modernizing Payments To and From America's Bank Account, the IRS announced that paper refund checks began phasing out on Sept. 30, 2025. Taxpayers can learn more about this notice, including frequently asked questions and step-by-step instructions, by visiting Understanding Your CP53E Notice on IRS.gov. Back to Top     
Thank you for subscribing to the IRS Newswire, an IRS e-mail service. If you know someone who might want to subscribe to this mailing list, please forward this message to them so they can subscribe. This message was distributed automatically from the mailing list IRS Newswire. Please Do Not Reply To This Message. | 
No comments:
Post a Comment