Updated October 24, 2026. Quick answer: Line 83 of the New York Form IT-201 is where you enter your bank account information so the Tax Department can deposit your refund directly. It has three parts: the account type on 83a, the routing number on 83b and the account number on 83c. The booklet says a refund tied to an account outside the U.S. is sent by mail instead.
What this line does
On page 4 of the form, the account block begins with this label: “Account information for direct deposit”. Below it sit three entries: “Account type:” for 83a, “Routing number” for 83b and “Account number” for 83c. The account types printed on the form are “Personal checking”, “Personal savings”, “Business checking” and “Business savings”.
The booklet’s instruction heading is “Line 83: Account information”. Its refund side is introduced on New York Form IT-201 lines 77 to 79, and the full run of lines is on New York Form IT-201 line by line.
Who it applies to
Line 83 is for a refund that goes to an account at a bank within the U.S. The booklet says “supply the information requested for lines 83a, 83b, and 83c.”
For an account outside the country the booklet says to stop: “Do not complete lines 83a, 83b, or 83c.” and that “we will send your refund to the mailing address on your return”.
The federal return has a similar block, described on Form 1040 lines 34, 35 and 36.
What the instructions say
| Line | What the form says |
|---|---|
| Heading | “Line 83: Account information” |
| Accounts within the U.S. | “supply the information requested for lines 83a, 83b, and 83c.” |
| Accounts outside the U.S. | “Do not complete lines 83a, 83b, or 83c.” “we will send your refund to the mailing address on your return” |
| Sample image | “Use the sample image as a guide; enter your own information exactly as it appears on your own check or bank records.” “Do not enter the information from the sample check below.” |
| Line 83a | “On line 83a, mark an X in the box for the type of account.” |
| Line 83b | “On line 83b, enter your bank’s 9-digit routing number (refer to your check or contact your bank). The first two digits always begin with 01 through 12, or 21 through 32.” |
| Line 83b, the note | “If your check states that it is payable through a bank different from the one where you have your checking account, do not use the routing number on that check.” “Instead, contact your bank for the correct routing number to enter on line 83b.” |
| Line 83c | “On line 83c, enter your account number.” |
| Line 83c, checking | “If you marked personal or business checking on line 83a, enter the account number shown on your checks.” |
| Line 83c, savings | “If you marked personal or business savings on line 83a, enter your savings account number from a preprinted savings account deposit slip, your passbook or other bank records, or from your bank.” |
| Line 83c, length | “The account number can be up to 17 characters (both numbers and letters).” |
| Line 83c, format | “Include hyphens (-) but omit spaces and special symbols.” “Enter the number from left to right.” |
| Note, where the numbers sit | “The routing and account numbers may appear in different places on your check.” |
| Note, ask your bank | “Before you file, contact your bank if you need to verify routing and account numbers” |
| Processing time | “Allow six to eight weeks for processing your return.” |
The figures the form prints
Two limits sit inside single running sentences. For the routing number: “On line 83b, enter your bank’s 9-digit routing number (refer to your check or contact your bank). The first two digits always begin with 01 through 12, or 21 through 32.”
For the account number: “The account number can be up to 17 characters (both numbers and letters).”
Where the result goes next
Line 83 feeds the refund choice made on line 78b, where the booklet says “You can choose either direct deposit to have the funds deposited directly into your bank account, or a paper check mailed to you.” After you file, the booklet adds: “Allow six to eight weeks for processing your return.”
For the state context of withholding and refunds, see New York tax withholding on pension payments.
Edition and line numbers
This page reads Form IT-201-I, Instructions for Form IT-201, Resident Income Tax Return (2025), New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, and Form IT-201, Resident Income Tax Return (2025), New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, for tax year 2025, the current file the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance served on 2026-10-24. Check the edition printed on your own form and use that edition’s line numbers.
Common mistakes
- Copying the sample check. The booklet says “Do not enter the information from the sample check below.”
- Filling in 83a to 83c for a foreign account. The booklet says “Do not complete lines 83a, 83b, or 83c.”
- Using the routing number printed on a check payable through another bank. The booklet says “do not use the routing number on that check.”
Related: Form 1040 lines 34, 35 and 36, and New York tax withholding on pension payments.
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Answer againSources
- Form IT-201-I, Instructions for Form IT-201, Resident Income Tax Return (2025), New York State Department of Taxation and Finance: www.tax.ny.gov
- Form IT-201, Resident Income Tax Return (2025), New York State Department of Taxation and Finance: www.tax.ny.gov
- Related official page (not quoted): New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, personal income tax forms and instructions page: www.tax.ny.gov
Read from the state revenue documents linked above on October 24, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer or the state revenue department is the right place to confirm anything consequential.