The Internal Revenue Service advises that if you have recently lost a refund check, you should start a refund tracing. First, you can use the Where’s My Refund feature. This manner, you can view the present situation.
Then call the IRS at 800-829-1954. Once you begin the call, you must use the automated system. Taxpayers who want to speak with an agent should contact 800-829-1040.
What if you filed a married filing jointly return? The IRS explains it
For your knowledge, if you submitted a married filing jointly return, you will be unable to conduct a trace through the automated system. So, to prevent wasting time, you should consider this.
In this instance, you must download and fill out Form 3911. If you’ve never used this form before, it’s called a Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund.
For taxpayers who choose it, the IRS can mail them a Form 3911 to begin the tax refund check replacement procedure. You must be wondering how the IRS processes your claim for a missed refund.
IRS processes missing refund claims in 2 ways
The Internal Revenue Service can perform one of two things. For example, if your check has not been cashed, they will cancel it. This way, if someone else has it or you get it later, you won’t be able to cash it again.
Once the IRS cancels the cheque, you will receive a replacement. Unfortunately, some checks might have been cashed. In this scenario, the Agency will send you a claim packet containing a copy of the cashed check.
This information will be obtained from the Bureau of Fiscal Service. After receiving this claim package, you must follow the directions to finish it. The BFS can take up to 6 weeks to assess whether your claim is legitimate. Once the signature is verified, they will either give a replacement or not.