Starting today, America changed forever at the behest of President Donald Trump: for better or worse, a federal change was ordered that will have a significant and long-term impact: goodbye to paper checks, hello to a more digitalized country that looks to the future, and that includes tax refunds checks.
That scenario is becoming a reality for millions of American taxpayers. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), following Trump’s order, has slammed the final door on paper checks for individual tax refunds, marking the beginning of a forced transition to the electronic world.
Why Trump ordered the elimination of paper checks
It’s not a bureaucratic whim; it’s the first nail in the coffin of an antiquated system that has cost fortunes in fraud and delays. And all of this was driven by an executive order from Donald Trump that, ironically, comes in his second term as an echo of his obsession with “draining the swamp” of federal inefficiency.
Let’s go back to the beginning, because this story didn’t come out of nowhere. On March 25, 2025, Trump signed Executive Order 14247, a document that sounds like a futuristic manifesto: “Modernizing Payments to and from America’s Bank Account.”
In essence, it tells the Treasury Department: no more paper checks for most federal payments, as long as the law allows. The deadline was inexorable: September 30, 2025.
And the IRS has wasted no time getting in line. On September 23, they released IR-2025-94, confirming that individual refunds—those we so long for after an agonizing tax season—will no longer arrive in physical form. It’s the first step, they say, but they promise to expand it to corporations and other payments soon.
Receive your next tax refund by electronic payment
If you file your 2025 tax return next year, forget about the postal check. Unless you fall into a narrow exception—such as not having a bank account—the IRS won’t send it. And it’s not just taxes: Social Security payments are also simultaneously migrating to direct deposit or prepaid cards.
It even includes refunds under FIRPTA, those nonresident alien taxes that have always been a headache for diplomats and expats. For the vulnerable, there is a lifeline: limited options for those who don’t navigate the digital world, with detailed guidance promised by the IRS before the 2026 tax season. But don’t be fooled; the message is clear: adapt or be left behind.
The change is simple and fast
To set up direct deposit for your next tax return—such as the 2025 tax return due in 2026—simply select this option when preparing your Form 1040 using tax software or with the help of a tax preparer. Enter your bank’s routing number (a nine-digit code) and the corresponding account number; this ensures your refund arrives within days, rather than weeks with the traditional method.
If you don’t have a bank account or prefer an alternative, the IRS offers prepaid debit cards issued by partners like Visa or Mastercard, which you can request directly when filing your return or through its online portal.
To update existing information before a refund is processed—for example, if you notice an error on a pending return—call the IRS at 800-829-1040 Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., to request a stop deposit and opt for a check in rare cases, although this is discouraged due to delays.
