If line 73 is under $1, we will send a refund only on written request.

If you owe past-due federal tax, state income tax, state unemployment compensation debts, child support, spousal support, or certain federal nontax debts, such as student loans, all or part of the overpayment on line 73 may be used (offset) to pay the past-due amount. Offsets for federal taxes are made by the IRS. All other offsets are made by the Treasury Department's Financial Management Service (FMS). For federal tax offsets, you will receive a notice from the IRS. For all other offsets, you will receive a notice from FMS. To find out if you may have an offset or if you have any questions about it, contact the agency to which you owe the debt.

If you file a joint return and your spouse has not paid past-due federal tax, state income tax, state unemployment compensation debts, child support, spousal support, or a federal nontax debt, such as a student loan, part or all of the overpayment on line 73 may be used (offset) to pay the past-due amount. But your part of the overpayment may be refunded to you if certain conditions apply and you complete Form 8379. For details, use TeleTax topic 203 or see Form 8379.

If you want to check the status of your refund, see Refund Information, later. Just use the IRS2Go phone app or go to IRS.gov and click on Where's My Refund. Information about your return will generally be available within 24 hours after the IRS receives your e-filed return, or 4 weeks after you mail your paper return. If you filed Form 8379 with your return, wait 14 weeks (11 weeks if you filed electronically). Have your 2012 tax return handy so you can provide your social security number, your filing status, and the exact whole dollar amount of your refund.

Where's My Refund? has a new look this year! The tool will include a tracker that displays progress through three stages: (1) return received, (2) refund approved, and (3) refund sent. Where's My Refund? will provide an actual personalized refund date as soon as the IRS processes your tax return and approves your refund. So in a change from previous filing seasons, you won't get an estimated refund date right away.

Any refund you receive cannot be counted as income when determining if you or anyone else is eligible for benefits or assistance, or how much you or anyone else can receive, under any federal program or under any state or local program financed in whole or in part with federal funds. These programs include Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps). In addition, when determining eligibility, the refund cannot be counted as a resource for at least 12 months after you receive it. Check with your local benefit coordinator to find out if your refund will affect your benefits.

If you want us to directly deposit the amount shown on line 74a to your checking or savings account, including an IRA, at a bank or other financial institution (such as a mutual fund, brokerage firm, or credit union) in the United States:

• Complete lines 74b through 74d (if you want your refund deposited to only one account), or
• Check the box on line 74a and attach Form 8888 if you want to split the direct deposit of your refund into more than one account or use all or part of your refund to buy paper series I savings bonds.

If you do not want your refund directly deposited to your account, do not check the box on line 74a. Draw a line through the boxes on lines 74b and 74d. We will send you a check instead.

Do not request a deposit of any part of your refund to an account that is not in your name, such as your tax preparer's account.

You can have your refund (or part of it) directly deposited to a traditional IRA, Roth IRA, or SEP-IRA, but not a SIMPLE IRA. You must establish the IRA at a bank or other financial institution before you request direct deposit. Make sure your direct deposit will be accepted. You must also notify the trustee or custodian of your account of the year to which the deposit is to be applied (unless the trustee or custodian will not accept a deposit for 2012). If you do not, the trustee or custodian can assume the deposit is for the year during which you are filing the return. For example, if you file your 2012 return during 2013 and do not notify the trustee or custodian in advance, the trustee or custodian can assume the deposit to your IRA is for 2013. If you designate your deposit to be for 2012, you must verify that the deposit was actually made to the account by the due date of the return (without regard to extensions). If the deposit is not made by that date, the deposit is not an IRA contribution for 2012. In that case, you must file an amended 2012 return and reduce any IRA deduction and any retirement savings contributions credit you claimed.

For more information on IRAs, see Pub. 590.

You can request a deposit of your refund (or part of it) to a TreasuryDirect® online account to buy U.S. Treasury marketable securities and savings bonds. For more information, go to www.treasurydirect.gov.

You can have your refund directly deposited into more than one account or use it to buy up to $5,000 in paper series I savings bonds. You do not need a TreasuryDirect® account to do this. For more information, see the Form 8888 instructions.

You cannot file Form 8888 to split your refund into more than one account or buy paper series I savings bonds if Form 8379 is filed with your return.

The routing number must be nine digits. The first two digits must be 01 through 12 or 21 through 32. On the sample check below, the routing number is 250250025. Tony and Jennifer Maple would use that routing number unless their financial institution instructed them to use a different routing number for direct deposits.

Ask your financial institution for the correct routing number to enter on line 74b if:

• The routing number on a deposit slip is different from the routing number on your checks,
• Your deposit is to a savings account that does not allow you to write checks, or
• Your checks state they are payable through a financial institution different from the one at which you have your checking account.

Check the appropriate box for the type of account. Do not check more than one box. If the deposit is to an account such as an IRA, health savings account, brokerage account, or other similar account, ask your financial institution whether you should check the Checking or Savings box. You must check the correct box to ensure your deposit is accepted. For a TreasuryDirect® online account, check the Savings box.

The account number can be up to 17 characters (both numbers and letters). Include hyphens but omit spaces and special symbols. Enter the number from left to right and leave any unused boxes blank. On the sample check below, the account number is 20202086. Do not include the check number.

If the direct deposit to your account(s) is different from the amount you expected, you will receive an explanation in the mail about 2 weeks after your refund is deposited.

If any of the following apply, your direct deposit request will be rejected and a check will be sent instead.

• Any numbers or letters on lines 74b through 74d are crossed out or whited out.
• Your financial institution(s) will not allow a joint refund to be deposited to an individual account. The IRS is not responsible if a financial institution rejects a direct deposit.
• You file your 2012 return after December 31, 2013.

Enter on line 75 the amount, if any, of the overpayment on line 73 you want applied to your 2013 estimated tax. We will apply this amount to your account unless you include a statement requesting us to apply it to your spouse's account. Include your spouse's social security number in the statement.