IRS will no longer accept or issue paper checks: Americans in France affected
Tax payments and refunds must now be made digitally
Paper checks will no longer be issued or accepted from September
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Americans in France will no longer be allowed to send paper checks to the IRS – or receive paper check tax refunds – as payment systems become fully electronic.
A mandate signed by US President Donald Trump earlier this year will see the provision of physical checks severely limited for federal bureaus, including the IRS, from September 2025 onwards
In the majority of cases, Americans will also no longer be able to file paper declarations, and the IRS will send any tax refund via electronic payments.
The shift has been made to save federal agencies money and time, as electronic payments are easier and quicker to make. The US government spent a reported $657 million last year in maintaining a paper-based payment structure.
In addition, electronic payments are considered more secure, less susceptible to fraud and unlike a physical check, does not risk being lost when sent.
What should Americans do?
Most Americans currently need to file an annual tax return with the IRS no matter where they live – although this may change – meaning the new rules will affect those living in France.
The first thing to do is to ensure the IRS has your up-to-date bank details to be able to pay any refunds to you.
You can update your details after logging into the IRS website, or call the service’s toll free number (+1-800-829-1040) if you have any issues.
Note that the IRS does not usually send refunds to non-American banks, but can refund the amount to multi-currency accounts such as Wise, meaning a digital bank that uses US currency is an option.
Alternatively, you can ask for the refund to be deducted from any payment to be made next year.
In terms of making payments, you can set up a ‘Direct Pay’ option with the IRS to make these.
However this requires a US bank account.
Alternatives include asking your French bank to wire the money to the IRS in dollars or paying with a credit or debit card – several options are listed by the IRS on its official website.
The US government announced that federal bureaus including the IRS will continue to accept and receive paper checks in exceptional circumstances, however did not outline if this applies to Americans living overseas.
