Tax refund who gets it?

Question

hELLO QUICK QUESTION i HAVE A FRIEND WHO OWES ME MONEY AND WAS GOING TO PAY IT BACK WHEN THEY GOT THEIR TAXES. hE NOW TELLS ME THAT THE REFUND IS A BANK DRAFT AND IS GOING FROM UNCLE SAM INTO HIS MOTHERS ACCOUNT. CAN YOU DO THAT?

Answer 1

He can---you can't.

Answer 2

Unfortunately, the IRS does not allow a taxpayer to direct deposit their refund into someone else's account. Probably the bank will refuse the funds, and your friend will receive a refund check sent through US mail to his home address, instead of direct deposit into his mother's account.

See this article regarding direct deposit:
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=161493,00.html

Only if he filed a joint return and wanted the refund deposited into his spouse's individual account could the deposit be electronically sent from the IRS to the bank. Even in this case, the spouse's bank could hold the funds, and refuse to deposit them into the account of a different name.

Answer 3

You can have your refund come direct deposit to a bank account. As of this year, your name does not have to be on the account to have it deposited there. So yes, you can do that. It should have nothing to do with him paying you back though, unless his mother is keeping the money.

Answer 4

The person filing the return can designate where the refund goes. So if it's going into your friend's mother's account, it's because he signed for the IRS to put it here.

Answer 5

I know you can have your taxes dircetly deposited into a bank account, but I'm not sure if it's somebody elses account or not. I think your name has to be on the account too.

Answer 6

Yes, if he gave them the mothers routing and bank account number they can directly deposit it into her account. But once they do he needs to get her to withdraw it.