Can you have your tax refund directed to someone else's account?

As long as you have the routing number and the account number, you can have your refund direct deposited in any account you want.

I really do not think so and here is why.

Depositing a tax refund in someone else’s account makes the Federal Government a third party liability, if for any reason neither recepient backs out of this agreement.

I could be wrong.

you can have it sent to any account you want, but remember that once it is paid, it is the property of the account holder, so be sure they can be trusted. Your signature (even your electronic signature) releases the payer from liability other than to put it in the account you specified.

No. The IRS has very specific rules about this. I will look up and attach the link later.

Your name has to be on the account.
If it is a joint return, the account has to have both names on the account.
Shy of that, you HAVE to have a check sent as opposed to electronic deposit.

@blueiiznh is correct. And the bank receiving the electronic deposit should be checking this and reject any government deposit not being put into the appropriate account. They don’t always, but they are supposed to.

IRS info on Direct Deposits:

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=168480,00.html

Form 8888

Reasons Your Direct Deposit Request May Be Rejected
If any of the following apply, your direct deposit request will be rejected and a check will be sent instead.
• Your financial institution(s) will not allow a joint refund to be deposited to an individual account. The IRS is not responsible if a financial institution rejects a direct deposit.
• You request a deposit of your refund to an account that is not in your name (such as your tax preparer’s own account).