r/IRS•
pothos_618

IRS Refund Check with Misspelled Names

Tax Refund/ E-File Status Question

I received a refund check for my late father that is intended to be deposited into his estate's bank account. Unfortunately, it was issued <My name misspelled> ADM <father's name misspelled> DECD. I brought it into Fidelity to try and deposit it but they refused since both names were misspelled. I checked the return and our names were spelled correctly and my letters of testamentary also have correctly spelled names, so they have the right names on file...

I've been trying to call the IRS but usually after 2+ hours on hold I get automatically disconnected. Does anyone know what you're supposed to do in this situation?

Their website has steps for sending back an erroneous check https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc161 but the amount isn't erroneous. I am concerned if I send the check back with a letter saying please reissue to the correct names, they will think the refund is erroneous and keep the money.

On the bright side, I was warned it could take years for the IRS to process a deceased's tax refund, so I was pleasantly surprised to get something after 2 months.

Posted Jun 3, 2026, 11:48 PM UTC

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