Getting a $1 check from the IRS for the second year - Is this real or a scam?

This is actually a legitimate check from the IRS! When you see these small amount checks (especially exactly $1), it's typically for one of these reasons: First, it could be interest the IRS owes you on your previous year's refund if it was delayed beyond their processing timeframe. They're required by law to pay interest on late refunds, and sometimes that interest works out to very small amounts. Second, it might be an adjustment to your previous tax return where they found you were owed a tiny additional amount after recalculating something. Third, occasionally the IRS sends test checks to verify banking information, though this is less common with paper checks. I'd recommend depositing it rather than letting it sit in a drawer. Even though it's just $1, uncashed government checks can potentially cause minor reconciliation issues in your tax account.

I had a similar situation and discovered taxr.ai helped me figure out what was going on with my weird IRS checks. I was getting random small amounts and couldn't understand why until I uploaded my notices to https://taxr.ai and they explained exactly what was happening. Turns out it was interest on a previous year's delayed refund! They analyzed all my tax documents and explained everything in simple terms I could actually understand. It saved me hours of frustrating research and phone calls.

Just wanted to update - I was skeptical but tried taxr.ai with my weird IRS notice and little check. Uploaded a pic of both and got an explanation in minutes! Apparently mine was interest payment from a delayed refund from 2023. The explanation was super clear and saved me from spending hours on hold with the IRS. It even explained why I might get these randomly in the future too, which was helpful. Definitely recommend if you get confusing tax stuff.

If you're still confused or need to confirm with the IRS directly, I'd recommend using Claimyr. I was getting these weird small checks too and spent DAYS trying to reach someone at the IRS with no luck. I found https://claimyr.com and they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in less than 15 minutes! You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they navigate the phone system for you and call you back when an agent is on the line. Saved me hours of frustration and I got an official explanation for those random dollar checks.

Ok I feel kinda stupid now but I have to admit Claimyr actually worked. After posting that skeptical comment I decided to try it anyway out of desperation. Within about 20 minutes I got a call connecting me to an IRS agent! The agent confirmed these small $1-5 checks are typically interest payments on previous refunds. She also checked my account and confirmed both of my small checks were legitimate. Such a relief to finally get a straight answer without wasting an entire day on hold. Sorry for being so negative before!

Just wanted to add that you should definitely cash those small checks! My sister works for a state treasury department and says uncashed government checks create accounting nightmares. Plus the IRS might think you didn't receive it and that could potentially flag your account in their system.

Is anyone else still waiting on their state refund? I filed in early February too and still nothing from my state but got my federal refund weeks ago. Starting to get worried...

Make sure to take a photo of both checks before you deposit them! If there's ever any question about whether you received/deposited them, having that documentation could save you a headache. I always take pics of all tax-related documents just in case.

This is actually pretty common! I work in tax preparation and see this frequently. Those $1 checks are usually interest payments on delayed refunds from previous years. The IRS is required by law to pay interest when they take longer than their standard processing time to issue refunds. What likely happened is your 2023 refund was processed later than the IRS's target timeframe, so they owe you interest on that delay. The interest rate is pretty low (currently around 7-8% annually), so even a delay of a few weeks on a decent-sized refund only generates a small interest payment. Definitely deposit both checks! Even though it's just $1, leaving government checks uncashed can sometimes cause minor issues in their accounting system. Plus, it's your money - might as well take it. The checks are completely legitimate and safe to deposit. You might continue getting these small interest payments if you have refunds in future years that get delayed for any reason. It's just the IRS following federal law about paying interest on late refunds.

I've been getting these random small IRS checks too and was so confused! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful. I had no idea about the interest payment requirement - that totally explains the weird timing and amounts I've been seeing. For anyone still skeptical about cashing them, I just wanted to add that my bank teller mentioned they see these small IRS checks fairly often, especially during tax season. She said they're always legitimate and encouraged me to deposit them rather than letting them pile up at home. One thing I learned from my experience: if you use direct deposit for your main refund but then get a paper check for these small amounts, it's because the IRS systems handle interest payments differently than regular refunds. So don't worry if the payment method seems inconsistent! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions. This community is so helpful for navigating all the confusing tax stuff we deal with!

This is such a relief to read! I just got my first $1 IRS check yesterday and immediately thought it was some kind of scam. I've been staring at it trying to figure out if it's legitimate or not. Reading everyone's explanations about interest payments on delayed refunds makes perfect sense now. My 2023 refund did take longer than usual to arrive, so this must be the interest the IRS owes me for that delay. I'm definitely going to deposit it today - you're all right that even though it's just a dollar, it's still my money and I shouldn't let it sit around causing potential account issues. Plus it sounds like this might happen again in future years if there are any processing delays. Thanks for such a helpful discussion everyone! As someone who's still learning about all this tax stuff, it's awesome to have a community where people share their real experiences and knowledge.

Just want to echo what others have said about these being completely legitimate! I'm a CPA and we see this all the time with clients. These small interest payments happen when the IRS takes longer than their standard 21-day processing window to issue your refund. The amount is calculated based on the current federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points, applied to your refund amount for the period of delay. So even a $1,000 refund delayed by a few weeks might only generate $1-3 in interest, which is why these amounts seem so random and small. One thing I always tell clients: keep these checks with your tax records! If you ever get audited or have questions about your account, having documentation that you received and deposited these interest payments can be helpful. The IRS tracks everything, but it's good to have your own records too. And definitely don't worry about it being a scam - the watermarks, routing numbers, and official formatting on these checks are nearly impossible to fake. Plus scammers wouldn't bother with $1 amounts when they could just as easily fake larger amounts if that was their goal.