A CP237A notice is the IRS telling you that a paper refund check it mailed you was never cashed and has now expired. No tax has been adjusted, and you don’t owe anything. The money is still yours; the original check just no longer works. To get a replacement, you call the phone number printed on the notice and ask for one.
Why the Check Expired
Every U.S. Treasury check is printed with “VOID AFTER ONE YEAR” above the disbursing officer’s signature, and any check that isn’t negotiated within that year is automatically canceled under the Competitive Equality Banking Act. When that happens, the funds return to the IRS disbursing office rather than sitting in limbo or disappearing.1U.S. Department of the Treasury. Cancellations, Deposits, Reclamations, and Claims for Checks Drawn on the US
People end up here for ordinary reasons. You moved and the check never reached you. It got lost in the mail. It landed in a stack of paperwork and was forgotten. Whatever happened, CP237A is the prompt to claim what you’re owed.
How to Request the Replacement
Call the IRS at the number on your notice, which is typically 800-829-0115, and ask for a replacement refund check.2Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP237A Notice There’s no form and nothing to mail. Keep the notice in front of you when you call; the representative will verify your identity and confirm the refund details before reissuing payment. If you still have the expired check, destroy it.
You should receive the new check within 30 days of the request.2Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP237A Notice If a month goes by without one arriving, call back to confirm the replacement was processed and sent to the right address.
When the Replacement May Be Less Than the Original
Most of the time the IRS reissues the full refund. But if you owe other federal taxes or certain government debts, such as past-due child support or defaulted student loans, the IRS can apply part or all of the refund to those obligations first. The notice puts it this way: “if you owe other tax or debts we’re required to collect, we may apply all or part of your overpayment to the amount you owe.”3Internal Revenue Service. IRS Notice CP237A If that applies to you, a separate notice will spell out how the money was used, and a check will follow for whatever is left.
If You’ve Moved Since Filing
The IRS mails replacement checks only to your address of record, meaning the address on the return that generated the refund or a permanent change of address you filed afterward.2Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP237A Notice You cannot simply give a new address over the phone while requesting the replacement. Update the address first, then call.
Three ways to update your address:
- File Form 8822, Change of Address, by mail. This is the most reliable option and creates a permanent record.4Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8822, Change of Address
- Send the IRS a signed letter with your full name, Social Security number, and both old and new addresses.5Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 157, Change Your Address – How to Notify the IRS
- Call the IRS and give the same identifying information by phone.5Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 157, Change Your Address – How to Notify the IRS
Not every post office forwards government checks, so a USPS forwarding order won’t necessarily rescue a Treasury envelope. Update the address with the IRS directly.
CP237A Versus CP237
A related notice, CP237, is not a request; it’s a confirmation. CP237A asks you to call for a replacement. CP237 tells you the replacement has already been issued. If a CP237 shows up after you call, that’s the signal your request went through.
Avoiding an Expired Check Next Time
The reliable fix is to skip paper checks. When you file, elect direct deposit by entering your bank routing and account numbers on the return or through your tax software. The refund arrives in your account within days of processing, and there’s no check to misplace.6Internal Revenue Service. Tell IRS to Direct Deposit Your Refund to One, Two, or Three Accounts
If a paper check does show up in the future, cash or deposit it promptly. The one-year clock runs from the date printed on the check, not the day it lands in your mailbox.