05/26/2026
Did you receive an IRS CP53E letter after filing your federal tax return? If so, you’re not alone. IRS is mailing out more of these notices this year. IRS generally sends these letters to taxpayers whose Forms 1040 show a refund due,but the bank information is invalid, missing or rejected. The letter asks taxpayers
to add or update their bank account information after setting up an online account with IRS. Now that IRS’s policy is one of not issuing tax refunds via paper check and instead generally requiring direct deposit of refunds, more individual taxpayers than ever before are receiving these CP53E notices after filing their tax returns.
The Service is sending some CP53E notices in error, leading to confusion among taxpayers and preparers. For instance, these letters are landing in mailboxes of filers who weren’t owed refunds but instead paid taxes with their filed 1040s. IRS sends most CP53E notices automatically, so it is likely to make some mistakes.