How do I replace a lost or damaged tax refund check from the IRS?

Introduction

If you were expecting to receive a refund check from the IRS and it never arrived, it may have been lost or stolen. You should find out if you need to get a replacement check sent. Same if you got your check but it was damaged. If you did receive it but then subsequently lost it or had it stolen, you need to report this as quickly as possible, to prevent it from being cashed by anyone else. You can still get a replacement if your stolen check was chased, but it will take much longer to get.

What You'll Need

If you are filing a "married but filing jointly" return, you can't use the "Where's My Refund?" check tracer. Instead, you will need to call an IRS agent and speak to them directly about your problem.The "Where's My Refund?" check tracer should be able to locate your refund check 24 hours after you filed electronically or 28 days after you filed a paper tax return. Before this period elapses, information about your check will not have been entered into the system.Make sure you know exactly how much money you were expecting in your expected check before contacting the IRS. IRS agents will need this information to trace your check.

If your check never arrived, go to the IRS "Where's My Refund?" page.

IRS "Where's My Refund?" page

If your check arrived but was subsequently lost or stolen, skip to step 7.

Click on the "Check Your Refund" button.

Enter your Social Security number or ITIN in the text field at the top of the form.

Select the year of filing and your filing status.

Enter the exact amount of the refund you were expecting in the text field at the bottom of the form.

Click on the Submit button.

Follow the prompts to finish requesting information on the status of your tax refund check.
If the check hasn't been sent yet for some reason, or if it is still in transit, then all you need to do now is wait. If it is supposed to have arrived already, continue with the next steps.

Go to the IRS Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund form page.

IRS Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund form page

Print the form out.

Fill out the form.

Mail the form to the same address where you usually mail your tax forms.

Wait for word from the IRS.

The first thing the IRS will do is determine whether or not the check has been cashed. If it has not, the IRS will put a stop payment order on the check and then send you another one. If it has been cashed, continue on with the next step.

Wait for the claim package that will be sent to you by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service.

Follow the instructions in the package and send it back to the BFS when you have finished.

The BFS will investigate your claim and compare the signature that you provide them to the signature on the cashed check. Once it has completed an investigation, a process that could take up to six weeks, it will notify you of its decision. If it decides that the check was cashed fraudulently, it will issue a replacement check and send it to you.

Conclusion

If you have any questions, call an IRS agent to ask them. The IRS customer service center is open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm EST on weekdays. It is closed on weekends.