I'm not sure how the states do it, but here's some federal refund information. If your electronic refund couldn't be deposited into your account for some reason, or if a paper check was returned to the IRS by mail, your account will show the overpayment again, but there will be a hold on the account. This is to protect you from having the check go out to the wrong address again or having it deposited into the wrong account if the account information the IRS has isn't correct. In order for the hold on your account to be released and the refund to be reissued, some action by you probably will be required. I recommend contacting IRS customer service by phone. Often, an address correction, releasing the freeze, and re-issuing the check can be done by the customer service rep while you're on the phone. In some cases, you'll be required to fill out a form. The customer service rep will tell you if that's the case and explain how to get the form online. She/he can send you the form, if necessary, but it's much quicker to get it online.