Tax Tip: Direct Deposit from the IRS, But Not Sure What it is For? - TAS (2024)

FAQs

Tax Tip: Direct Deposit from the IRS, But Not Sure What it is For? - TAS? ›

It could be: A refund from a filed tax return, including an amended tax return or an IRS tax adjustment to your tax account – this will show as being from the IRS (“IRS TREAS 310”) and carry the code “TAX REF.”

So if you receive an unexpected IRS refund check or bank deposit, what should you do? First, don't deposit or cash the check. Immediately take it to your nearest IRS office and ask for verification. An IRS agent can tell you why you received the check, and whether anyone else filed for it without your knowledge.

— Some people received refund checks from the IRS even though they were told they owed them money. Is it simply just a nice surprise or a mistake? One tax expert says it could be the result of an error in completing the return, so the IRS corrected it and sent a refund.

Bank May Catch Error

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.

The IRS uses direct deposit to electronically issue tax refund payments directly into taxpayers' financial accounts. In most cases, you will receive your tax refund in less than 21 days after you file your federal tax return.

The IRS can only take your paycheck if you have an overdue tax balance and the IRS has sent you a series of notices asking you to pay. If you don't respond to those notices, the IRS can eventually file federal tax liens and issue levies. In 2017, the IRS issued more than a half million levy notices.

How do I get a new one? If you lost your refund check, you should initiate a refund trace: Use Where's My Refund, call us at 800-829-1954 and use the automated system, or speak with an agent by calling 800-829-1040 (see telephone assistance for hours of operation).

Refer to IRM 21.4. 5.12 (7), How to Repay an Erroneous Refund or Return an Erroneous Refund Check or Direct Deposit. The recipient of an erroneous refund has a legal obligation to repay the amount to the IRS. Legally, the IRS must follow specific guidelines to recover and collect erroneous refunds.

In most cases, the deposit you received was your tax refund minus any fees. Many companies, like TurboTax and TaxSlayer, used Santa Barbara Tax Products Group to process returns and refunds.

How do I know if my direct deposit is correct? ›

Determining your direct deposit status is as simple as logging into your online bank account to see if your money's arrived. If there is a delay, you may have to check with your employer's payroll department.

Bank errors are rare, but do happen. If there's an error in your favor, the money is not yours to keep.

“Then you can personally visit the concerned bank and talk to the manager. You may have to produce all proofs and communications regarding the incorrect transaction. The bank manager will then contact the wrong recipient and request that the incorrect credit is re-transferred to you”, the bank added.

What's an IRS TREAS 310 bank transaction? If you receive your tax refund by direct deposit, you may see IRS TREAS 310 for the transaction. The 310 code simply identifies the transaction as a refund from a filed tax return in the form of an electronic payment (direct deposit).

‍A direct deposit is an electronic payment that is transferred directly from a payer's bank account to a payee's bank account. In the case of your paycheck, this means from an employer's account to an employee's account.

The IRS program is called direct deposit. You can use it to deposit your refund into one, two or even three accounts. Even if you don't have a checking account, there are other options available for direct deposit. Direct deposit is now also available for returns filed after their due date.

Use Where's My Refund, call us at 800-829-1954 (toll-free) and use the automated system, or speak with a representative by calling 800-829-1040 (see telephone assistance for hours of operation). If you filed a married filing jointly return, you can't initiate a trace using the automated systems.

Use the IRS Where's My Refund tool or the IRS2Go mobile app to check your refund online. This is the fastest and easiest way to track your refund. The systems are updated once every 24 hours. You can call the IRS to check on the status of your refund.

If you file your return electronically, your refund should be issued in less than three weeks, even faster when you choose direct deposit. You can have a refund check mailed to you, or you may be able to have your refund deposited directly into your bank account.

Sometimes returns are selected at random for a closer review. But the IRS can't afford to scrutinize everyone's tax returns. That's why the agency uses an algorithm to screen for potential red flags in returns that need to be corrected to reduce the number of underpayments to the IRS and increase tax revenue.