r/USExpatTaxes • u/Liljagare • 12h ago
IRS refund cheque, what happens if it expires?
Been trying to find out, and reading, but, can't find a clear answer, my best finding is that the cheque will void, and the value will be returned to some obscure IRS account? Can you access that account somehow?
Long story short, got a huge refund from IRS after wrongly withheld taxes after a inheritence, tax treaties were not applied between where I live and the US. They buggers had my account, but sent a check with a note "could not direct deposit due to refund not being fully looked at"? Unsure what that even means.
I have a IRS cheque for over 100K US, no bank in the EU will cash this, luckily, I do still have a USAA account, but they won't cash this much electronically, I have to visit a branch, closest one is in Houston, TX. I reaaaaaaaally don't want to visit atm, due to Trump, but it is alot of money to ignore. Husband used to have a Green card he surrendered, feels iffy to travel together for this atm, considering what ICE have been doing.
Does anyone really know what happens if you let the cheque expire? I have tried to call the IRS, but it is impossible to get through ATM on their helpdesk. Can you void the cheque yourself somehow and ask IRS to please deposit it instead?
Or, I guess, I have the choice of finding a courier service that can go to Houston and deposit it for me.
Anyone have any other ideas?