CP53E Notices Sent in Error

As discussed in our post on January 29, 2026, and March 24, 2026, the IRS has been sending a CP53E notice in the mail to taxpayers who requested a refund by check when they filed their 2025 federal income tax returns. The notice requests that taxpayers provide bank account information for the direct deposit of the refund through an IRS online account.

Recently, the Taxpayer Advocate Service of the IRS indicated that the IRS has erroneously sent CP53E notices to some taxpayers who did not request refunds. On its website, the Taxpayer Advocate Service says that such taxpayers can ignore these erroneous notices. See https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/news/tax-tips/is-that-cp53e-notice-from-the-irs-a-scam/2026/05/

For a taxpayer who received a CPE53E notice and had requested a refund by check, the IRS is still indicating that it will mail a refund check after 6 weeks, even if the taxpayer does not respond to the notice.