Form 8888 is the IRS form you attach to Form 1040, 1040-SR, 1040-SS or 1040-NR when you want your refund directly deposited into two or three accounts instead of one. Since the savings bond option was discontinued, splitting a direct deposit is now the only thing the form does. If you want the whole refund in one account, you don't need it: just enter the account on your return.
Everything below comes from the December 2025 revision of Form 8888 and its instructions, as of October 2026. The form is now continuous-use, so the IRS updates it only when something changes, rather than every year.
What changed on Form 8888
- Savings bonds are gone. The program that let you send part of your refund to a TreasuryDirect account to buy savings bonds, or buy paper bonds, has been discontinued.
- Paper checks are being phased out. Executive Order 14247 requires federal payments, including tax refunds, to be made electronically, and starting in October 2025 the IRS generally stops issuing paper checks unless an exception applies.
That second change is the insight most people haven't caught up with. With paper refund checks on the way out, getting your bank details right on the return or on Form 8888 matters more than it used to.
Which accounts can receive part of your refund
| Account type | Allowed? |
|---|---|
| Checking or savings account at a US bank or credit union | Yes |
| Brokerage or mutual fund account | Yes, at a US financial institution |
| Traditional IRA, Roth IRA or SEP IRA | Yes |
| SIMPLE IRA | No |
| Health savings account (HSA) or Archer MSA | Yes |
| Coverdell education savings account (ESA) | Yes |
| An account that isn't in your name, such as your preparer's | No |
If you send part of the refund to an IRA, open the IRA before you file and tell the trustee which year the deposit is for. If you don't, the trustee can treat it as a contribution for the year you're filing in. The IRS example: you file your 2023 return in 2024 without telling the trustee, so the deposit can count for 2024. If you did designate it for 2023, you must check it reached the account by the return's due date, not counting extensions. If it didn't, it isn't a 2023 IRA contribution, and you'd have to amend the 2023 return and reduce any IRA deduction and retirement savings contributions credit you claimed.
How to fill in Form 8888
- Lines 1a, 2a and 3a: the amount for each account. Each deposit must be at least $1.
- Lines 1b, 2b and 3b: the routing number, which must be nine digits. The first two digits must be 01 through 12 or 21 through 32.
- Lines 1c, 2c and 3c: tick checking or savings, and only one box per line. For an IRA, HSA or brokerage account, ask the institution which box to tick.
- Lines 1d, 2d and 3d: the account number, up to 17 characters. Include hyphens, leave out spaces and symbols, and don't include the check number.
- Line 5: add lines 1a, 2a and 3a. The total must equal the refund on your return, or your refund may be delayed.
Don't cross out or white out anything on the form. If you do, the IRS will reject your allocation and the refund may be delayed.
What happens when something goes wrong
The form has a built-in order for problems, and it's worth knowing before you choose which account goes on which line.
| Problem | What the IRS does |
|---|---|
| A bank rejects one or two of the deposits | The rejected amount goes to the last valid account listed |
| Your refund goes up because of a math error | The extra goes to the last account listed: line 3 if you used three |
| Your refund goes down because of a math error | The cut comes from line 3 first, then line 2, then line 1 |
| Your refund is offset for past-due federal tax or other debts | The offset comes from line 3 first, then line 2, then line 1 |
| You win an appeal of a math error adjustment | The resulting refund goes to the account on line 1 |
The IRS example: your return shows a $300 refund split $100 three ways. A math error raises it to $350, so the extra $50 goes to the line 3 account. If an error cut it by $150 instead, you'd lose the whole $100 on line 3 and $50 from line 2. So put the account you'd most like to protect on line 1, and the account you'd happily receive everything in last.
Reasons a deposit gets rejected
- A joint refund going to an individual account, where the bank won't allow it.
- The name on the account doesn't match the name on the refund, and the bank requires a match.
- Three direct deposits of tax refunds have already been made to the same account or prepaid debit card that year.
- An invalid account number or routing number.
The IRS isn't responsible if a financial institution rejects a deposit, or if you enter the wrong account details, so check both numbers with your bank.
When you can't use Form 8888
If you file Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation, your refund can't be split across more than one account. And if you file a joint return and complete Form 8888, the instructions warn that your spouse may get at least part of the refund. If you owe rather than get a refund, the form you need is the payment voucher, Form 1040-V, not this one.
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The verdict
Form 8888 is a two-minute job that can send part of your refund straight to savings or an IRA. Use it only if you want two or three accounts, order the lines so the account you care about most is first, and triple-check the routing and account numbers, because there's no paper check safety net coming behind it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still buy savings bonds with Form 8888?
No. The program that let you use your refund to buy savings bonds has been discontinued. Form 8888 is now only used to split a direct deposit refund between two or more accounts.
How many accounts can I split my refund into?
Up to three accounts at a bank or other financial institution in the United States.
Do I need Form 8888 for one account?
No. If you want the refund deposited to one account, request direct deposit on your tax return instead.
What is the minimum deposit on Form 8888?
Each deposit must be at least $1.
Can I deposit my refund into a SIMPLE IRA?
No. Traditional, Roth and SEP IRAs are allowed, but not a SIMPLE IRA.
