Can I endorse my IRS refund check to a family member living in the US?

Based on your situation, you actually can endorse an IRS refund check to someone else, but there are some important things to know before doing this. Treasury checks (including IRS refund checks) can be endorsed to a third party by writing "Pay to the order of [person's name]" and then signing it exactly as your name appears on the front of the check. However, this comes with some practical challenges. Many banks have become increasingly cautious about accepting third-party endorsed government checks due to fraud concerns. Your relative's bank might require both you and your relative to be present with ID, or they might refuse the endorsed check altogether depending on their specific policies.

After struggling with a similar situation when I moved to Germany, I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) really helpful for figuring out my options with US tax refunds while living overseas. I uploaded my check info there and got detailed guidance about what endorsement language would work best for my specific situation and which banks were most likely to accept my endorsed check. Their system analyzed everything and explained exactly what I needed to do to make the transfer work successfully. Saved me a ton of time researching conflicting advice online.

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai from my earlier comment. It was actually super helpful! I was able to upload an image of my Treasury check and the system immediately identified several options specific to my situation. What really impressed me was that it provided exact wording for the endorsement based on my bank's specific requirements (apparently different banks have slightly different preferred formats). They also pointed me to three banks in my brother's area that were known to be more accepting of endorsed government checks. Used their recommended approach and the check was deposited without any issues. Much easier than I expected after reading all the horror stories online!

If endorsement doesn't work out, I had great success using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get through to the IRS quickly and have them reissue my refund check with a different option. Was on hold for HOURS trying to reach someone at the IRS until I found their service. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. They got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes who helped me update my refund method. The agent was able to cancel the original check and set up direct deposit to my relative's account instead (with proper authorization), which bypassed the whole endorsement issue entirely.

Well I feel dumb now. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try Claimyr as a last resort since I've been trying to reach the IRS for 3 weeks about my amended return. I figured it couldn't be worse than what I was already experiencing. To my complete surprise, I was connected to an actual IRS representative in about 20 minutes! Usually I can't even get past the "we're experiencing high call volume" message. The agent was able to look up my amended return status and give me specific information about when I could expect it to be processed. I've literally been trying to get this information for MONTHS. Wish I had known about this service sooner instead of wasting countless hours on hold.

Another option might be using a check-cashing app like Ingo Money. When I was traveling abroad, I used it to deposit a smaller government check. There's usually a fee (like 1-2% of the check amount), but it might be worth it to avoid the hassle. The money can be loaded onto a prepaid card or sent to certain payment platforms. Not sure if there's a limit that might affect your $3,780 check though.

Just wondering - have you tried contacting the IRS to see if they can reissue the payment as a direct deposit instead? When I moved to Canada, I called them and explained my situation and they were able to cancel the paper check and reissue as direct deposit to my US-based family member's account (with proper authorization from me). Took about 6-8 weeks for the new payment to process but saved me all the endorsement headaches.

For what it's worth, I had success with the endorsement route when I was living in Japan. The key was calling my relative's bank ahead of time to ask about their specific policy for third-party endorsed government checks. Chase told me they'd accept it if both signatures were notarized, while Wells Fargo said they needed both parties present with ID. I ended up having the endorsement notarized at the US consulate in Tokyo (they provide notary services for US citizens abroad), then my sister was able to deposit it without any issues at Chase. The notarization cost me about $50 but was worth avoiding the 6-8 week wait for a reissued payment. Most US consulates offer this service, so that might be an option depending on where you're located overseas.

I went through this exact situation when I was living in the UK last year! Here's what worked for me: I contacted my bank back home (Bank of America) and they actually allowed me to open a basic checking account remotely since I was an existing customer who had just moved abroad temporarily. They required some extra documentation but it was much easier than I expected. Once I had the account set up, I was able to use their mobile app to deposit the IRS check directly - no endorsement or third party needed. The funds were available within 2 business days and I could then transfer the money internationally to my UK account through their wire transfer service (though there was about a $45 fee for that). If you were a customer with any major US bank before moving, it might be worth calling them first to see if they offer similar services for Americans living abroad. Many banks have expat banking programs that aren't well advertised but can be really helpful for situations exactly like this.

I had this exact same issue when I moved to Germany and received an IRS refund check. After trying several approaches, here's what I learned works best: First, yes, you can legally endorse an IRS refund check to a family member by writing "Pay to the order of [cousin's name]" on the back and signing it exactly as your name appears on the front. However, the success really depends on your cousin's bank policy. My recommendation is to have your cousin call their bank first to ask about their specific requirements for third-party endorsed government checks. Some banks require both parties present with ID, others accept notarized endorsements, and some refuse them entirely. If the endorsement route seems problematic, I'd suggest two alternatives: 1. Contact the IRS directly (or use a callback service like others mentioned) to cancel the check and reissue as direct deposit to your cousin's account with proper authorization 2. Check if you can reopen a US bank account remotely with a bank you previously used - many have expat programs that aren't well advertised For future reference, you can also update your address with the IRS to have refunds sent to a trusted family member's address, then have them deposit directly into their account and transfer to you internationally. The $3,780 amount shouldn't be an issue for any of these methods. Good luck!