IRS Refund Check for year 2015

[S T]

Filed a MFJ return, spouse deceased 2015, using a direct deposit for refund. No form 1310 as not required for surviving spouse receiving refund.

Due to the surviving spouse having some cognitive issues, I entered on the tax form c/o daughter's name, to assist in her receiving any notices. did not think it would affect the refund check.

Financial institution rejected the DD and then IRS issued a paper check that was just received.

The IRS check is issued pay to the order c/o - daughter's name, not the husband primary Taxpayer who is the surviving spouse's name on the joint return.

Now what??

Sandy

[Rapid Robert]

Due to the surviving spouse having some cognitive issues, I entered on the tax form c/o daughter's name, to assist in her receiving any notices. did not think it would affect the refund check.

Financial institution rejected the DD and then IRS issued a paper check that was just received.

The IRS check is issued pay to the order c/o - daughter's name, not the husband primary Taxpayer who is the surviving spouse's name on the joint return.

Now what??

Sandy

According to Pub 4164,

"Inputting an address in the In Care of Name (InCareOfNm) element in the Return Header field will cause the refund to be made payable to the text in this field and possibly delay the refund. Only a name should be input in this field, not an address."

To solve the problem, start here:

https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc161.html

[S T]

In care of line only had daughter's name and address was on the address lines

Why would IRS issue check to % daughter's name rather than the Taxpayer, who is the surviving spouse?

[Rapid Robert]

In care of line only had daughter's name and address was on the address lines

Why would IRS issue check to % daughter's name rather than the Taxpayer, who is the surviving spouse?

Probably a programming glitch. The "in care of" field only exists for efiled returns, and based on the previous quote form the IRS publication, it seems little effort is made to parse what is in the field. So the computer just picks up something there and uses it.

For your scenario, Form 8821 for the daughter would have been a much better way to go.

[S T]

Use in care of sometimes, and never had a DD rejection, or a paper check issued to in care of -

Now - Can daughter take check that shows % daughter's name - to her bank and deposit to her account, and then write a check to deposit to Father's Account.

Or what is the protocol to obtain a "re-issue" of the refund check which will take weeks or months?

Thanks

Sandy

[S T]

Software did what it was suppose to and had all for the signature forms showing "filing as surviving spouse" I really did not add a third party - Sometimes I wonder if it my posts and are not clear or if people reading the posts interpret differently than the post

All I did was an "in care of" name and address for future - as far as I know that should not have affected the actual refund check - I might be incorrect on this, but have never encountered an issue.

Going to the bank Thursday ---

Sandy

[Lion]

If father/surviving spouse has cognitive issues anyway, who's managing his finances? Daughter? Can she endorse check to father and deposit in his account? If the family is getting along, I'd keep it as simple as possible.

[Burke]

Agree. Have daughter endorse check and deposit in father's account. Case closed. PS: If her name is not already on his account as signatory, I would recommend it. I did not comment on this thread as my software does not have a specific input for "in care of", although I have used that in the address line previously. Interested in how this was input.

[Roland Slugg]

Why not just take the check to the bank and see if it can be deposited in: (A) The father's account, or (B) the daughter's account? Or maybe daughter can endorse the check ....

Pay to the order of [father]
Signed: [daughter]

... and deposit it right into father's account. I have found that banks are pretty accommodating about things like that.

[Rapid Robert]

Software did what it was suppose to and had all for the signature forms showing "filing as surviving spouse" [...]

All I did was an "in care of" name and address for future - as far as I know that should not have affected the actual refund check - I might be incorrect on this, but have never encountered an issue.

For the edification of all, why not tell us what software you were using, and EXACTLY what you typed into the "in care of field", character by charcter (using a fake name, of course). My software has an "in care of field" but I never really noticed it before you posted this thread. I don't think it's something that gets used very often.

Your post is indeed unclear, as to whether the return you filed had two addresses, or just one, and if you had a second address, where was it entered?

"In care of" implies you are using the same address, but simply putting a different name at top. This could matter, for example, if using some kind of mailbox where the name is checked upon delivery as well as the address, such as a private mail box, or large group residence with mail room. If this is a personal residence, such as a single-family house, what would be the point of putting a second name on the filed return? All the mail goes to the same place anyway.