Tax refund texts from the IRS or a state "Department of Revenue"

Updated October 23, 2026

The text people are getting

Your refund request has been processed and approved. Please provide accurate payment information by [DATE]. Funds will be deposited into your bank account or mailed to you via paper check within 1 to 2 business days.
[LINK]
Failure to submit the required payment information by [DATE] will result in permeant forfeiture of this refund under Minnesota Statute 5747.11. reply "Y" then close and reopen this message to activate the link. If the issue persists, copy the link and enter it directly into your browser
Minnesota Department of Revenue | St. Paul MN | Official State Government Agency

As reported by Minnesota Department of Revenue, September 2025.

You'll receive a tax refund of $573. We cannot process it due to incomplete personal information. […]

As reported by Scripps News, February 2025.

You are eligible to receive a $1,400 economic impact payment. […]

As reported by Scripps News (a sample from security company Guardio), February 2025.

How to tell it's a scam

The IRS doesn't text out of the blue. In its own words: "We don't send text messages without your permission."
A deadline and a threat. Submit your "payment information" by a date or lose the refund forever.
"Reply Y, then close and reopen this message to activate the link." That's a trick to get around your iPhone's protection against links from unknown senders. No real tax agency asks you to do it.
It asks for bank or card details through a link. Whatever you enter goes straight to the scammer.
The same text, many states. Minnesota's Department of Revenue published this one in September 2025, and New York's tax department warned that month about texts posing as state revenue and tax agencies.

What the IRS and states actually do

The IRS says it doesn't send text messages without your permission. If you're expecting a refund, check its status on IRS.gov or your state revenue department's website, typing the address yourself.

If you tapped the link or entered details

Entered bank or card details? Call your bank using the number on your card and tell them.
Entered your Social Security number? Go to IdentityTheft.gov for a step-by-step recovery plan.
The full checklist is in what to do if you clicked a scam link.

Report it

IRS-themed texts: the IRS asks you to email phishing@irs.gov with "Text" in the subject line. Include the sender's number, what the text said, your phone number, and the date, time, and time zone you got it.
State-themed texts: report it to your state's department of revenue.
Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) so your carrier can block the sender. How to report spam texts on iPhone.
Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Questions

Does the IRS send text messages?

Only if you've given it permission. The IRS says it doesn't send text messages without your permission, so an unexpected text about your refund isn't from the IRS.

I got a text about a stimulus payment or a $2,000 "tariff rebate." Is it real?

No. Idaho's attorney general warned about "tariff rebate" texts and said no government payment would ever require a text response to qualify.

Why does the text tell me to reply Y?

Your iPhone can keep links turned off in texts from unknown senders until you reply. Replying makes the link tappable and tells the scammer your number works. More on the reply-Y trick.

How do I check my real refund?

Go to IRS.gov, or your state revenue department's website, by typing the address yourself. Don't use a link or phone number from the text.

Sources

Facts checked October 23, 2026.