CP53E notice tied to paper-check transition causes confusion
May 13, 2026
Taxpayers and practitioners are unsure whether the CP53E notices they received in the mail are scams or sent in error, a confusion heightened by the inclusion of a QR code.
The CP53E notices advise taxpayers to update their bank information within 30 days for a direct deposit. Some recipients are skeptical because the notices include a QR code, and some practitioners say their clients owe money and are not due a refund.
The IRS created the CP53E notice before the most recent filing season as part of the transition from paper checks to electronic payments and deposits ordered by President Donald Trump in Executive Order 14247.
As of March, an estimated 1.4 million taxpayers had received the notice, according to a letter from members of the House Ways and Means Committee to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Read more.