This year, New Yorkers (and all Americans) are facing the biggest shake up to tax season in recent history. Between a brand new tax law and a massive shift in how you get your money, you’ll want to double check your return before hitting “submit.”
Here’s the breakdown of why your 2026 refund might look different–and why it could be delayed if you aren’t prepared.
✉️ Paper Refund Checks Are Being Phased Out
The biggest change this year is as of September 30, 2025, the IRS began phasing out paper refund checks. Under Executive Order 14247, which aims to modernize government payments, the IRS is moving toward a fully digital payment system.
- The New Rule: if you don’t provide a bank account and routing number for Direct Deposit, the IRS may temporarily freeze your refund
- The Penalty for Paper: if you skip the digital option and don’t qualify for a specific exception, your refund could be delayed by six weeks or longer
- The Solution: the IRS is urging anyone without a bank account to open one (via services like FDIC.gov/GetBanked) or use a reloadable prepaid debit card that supports routing numbers
🏦 Why The IRS Wants You To Choose Direct Deposit
The IRS says this moving to direct deposit will make refunds faster, more secure, and less likely to be delayed or lost in the mail. Most electronically filed returns with direct deposit are processed in under 21 days.
Paper-filed returns or mailed refunds, on the other hand, can take six weeks or longer–and with paper checks being phased out, delays could be even longer for those who don’t switch to electronic options. The IRS noted:
Some taxpayers may receive their refund earlier, depending on their financial institution.
💸 Other Major Tax Changes This Season: Tips, Overtime, & More
The 2026 filing season also marks the debut of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), signed into law last summer. This new law introduces several deductions that could significantly lower your tax bill or boost your refund:
- No Tax on Tips: service workers can now deduct up to $25,000 in qualified tips
- Overtime Tax Break: a new deduction allows you to keep more of your time-and-a-half pay (up to $12,500 for individuals)
- Car Loan Interest: you can now deduct interest on loans for new vehicles assembled in the U.S.
- The “Trump Account”: a new tax-deferred retirement account option is now available for children
🤑 When Can You File Your 2025 Taxes?
The IRS officially opened the 2026 tax filing season on Monday, January 26, 2026. Taxpayers have until Wednesday, April 15, 2026, to file their 2025 tax returns and pay any taxes owed.
The agency expects about 164 million individual tax returns to be filed this year, with the majority submitted electronically.
🗓️ Key Dates To Remember
- January 26, 2026: tax filing season officially opened
- March 2, 2026: expected date for EITC and Child Tax Credit refunds to hit bank accounts (only for taxpayers who chose direct deposit and have no issues with their returns)
- April 15, 2026: the final deadline to file your 2025 tax return
👀 How To Track Your Refund
With paper checks becoming a thing of the past, once you file, you can track your refund status using:
- Where’s My Refund? on IRS.gov
- The IRS2Go mobile app
- Your IRS Individual Online Account
Refund status information is typically available within 24 hours of e-filing, or about four weeks after mailing a paper return. If your refund is frozen due to missing bank info, look out for Notice CP53E in the mail—it will tell you exactly how to fix it online.
‼️ The Bottom Line
If you’re used to receiving a paper check in the mail, this tax season comes with a major shift. To avoid delays–and to make sure your refund actually arrives–the IRS says taxpayers should set up direct deposit before filing.
Translation: no bank info, no fast refund.