Avoid the Hassle

• Taxpayers have 180 days, or six months, to cash a state tax refund check. State tax refund checks clearly indicate that the amount of the check must be voided after 180 days. You'll avoid the chore and the risk of losing the check between the post office and the bank if you'll put your bank account and routing number on your return. Providing your banking information in the indicated fill-in blocks authorizes the state to direct-deposit your state tax refund amount into your bank account. This eliminates the need for the state to send a paper check, which may expire if not cashed within the 180 day time frame. It takes less time, too.
  
  

Save Time. And Paper. And Glue and a Stamp and ...

• When it comes to a state tax refund, it takes much longer for a state to issue a paper check than to direct-deposit the funds into a taxpayer's bank account. Depending on the state, it may take six to eight weeks to receive a tax refund when waiting for a paper check. A taxpayer who provides an account number and routing number on his state tax return may receive his refund amount in his bank account within four weeks, depending on the state.
  
  

Lost or Stolen

• In the event that a taxpayer loses his state tax refund check, he can call his state's department of revenue to request another check. The same holds true if a taxpayer's state tax refund check gets stolen by an unethical person. The state must have written authorization from the taxpayer in order to stop payment on the state refund check and begin a forgery investigation. When a refund check expires, a taxpayer must submit the old tax refund check along with a written request for a new tax refund check to the state department of revenue.
  
  

Check Status

• A taxpayer can check the status of her state tax refund online by visiting the state department of revenue website. To receive the status of his state tax refund, a taxpayer must provide his name, Social Security number and the amount of the expected tax refund. Also, a taxpayer may call the state department of revenue to check the status of her state tax refund. A taxpayer must wait until the state accepts his tax return before checking the status of his state income tax refund.