<prompt> Human: I did a quick google search, and a few websites were saying that if you have the IRS mail you a check or prepaid visa card instead of doing direct deposit, then you can keep it. Is this true?  <response>: Who are your debts owed to? State and federal government agencies can garnish a tax refund no matter what. So it doesnt matter what form its paid in. This can even include things like federal student loans or child support payments.If your debt is owed purely to private lenders, theyre not actually garnishing your refund, but garnishing the funds in your bank account. If it never hits your bank account, they dont have any access to it.That being said, if youre in such a difficult position that you need to find a way to prevent your creditors from getting your tax refund, you really might want to make a separate post in rpersonalfinance to help sort out other financial issues you might be having. Best of luck. 