IRS CP53E Notice Means Your Refund Is on Hold

Full analysis

Taxpayers expecting a 2025 federal tax refund by paper check may face an extended delay if they did not provide bank account information on their return — or if the banking information they provided was incorrect. The IRS will send a CP53E notice in these cases, and the only way to resolve it and receive the refund by direct deposit is to log in to your IRS Online Account and add or correct your banking details. Access to an IRS Online Account currently requires an ID.me login. The Taxpayer Advocate Service is also warning that scammers are exploiting confusion around the IRS's shift away from paper checks, so taxpayers should be alert to anyone contacting them and asking them to update bank account information through any channel other than the official IRS Online Account.