What this line means
The portion of your overpayment (line 34) you want refunded to you. You can receive the full overpayment as a refund, or split it between a refund and an estimated tax credit for next year (line 36). If you want direct deposit, enter your routing and account numbers on lines 35b-35d. Otherwise, the IRS mails a check.
Does this apply to you?
Easy to overlook
Direct deposit is faster and eliminates lost-check risk Paper refund checks take 6 to 8 weeks. Direct deposit refunds arrive in 21 days or less for e-filed returns. Seniors who have always received paper checks sometimes do not realize direct deposit is available on Form 1040-SR. Enter your routing number (line 35b), account number (line 35d), and account type (line 35c). 1 IRS Publication 17 — Your Federal Income Tax
You can split a refund across multiple accounts Form 8888 lets you direct your refund to up to three accounts — a checking account, savings account, and an IRA or HSA. This is useful for seniors who want part of the refund deposited into savings and part into checking without making a separate transfer. 2 General filing pattern — incorrect direct deposit routing
Watch out for this
Entering the wrong routing number or account number for direct deposit. A transposed digit sends your refund to the wrong account or causes the deposit to fail, converting it to a paper check with additional delay. Double-check both numbers against a voided check or your bank’s online portal before filing.
Footnotes
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IRS Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax, Refunds. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p17.pdf ↩
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IRS Form 8888 Instructions, Allocation of Refund. https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i8888 ↩