Federal Refund Deposited into a bank account that isn't mine.

[LauraHorrorshow]

I've been using Turbo Tax for years with no issue. When I filed my taxes for 2022 back in March of 2023 (it is currently January of 2024), I received my State refund without a problem within a couple of weeks, so I know that I entered my direct deposit banking information correctly when I filed through TT. I have been fighting with the IRS and TT to figure out where my Federal refund went since May of 2023 and I only just today finally received a response to my 1040 Form with the IRS which I submitted on June 1, 2023. They claim that my Federal refund was deposited into an account at Green Dot Bank, which I do not and have never had an account with and certainly didn't enter when I filed the return. I've never even heard of this bank before. When I called the IRS, they told me that they have been trying unsuccessfully to reach this bank. The representative that I spoke to when I called the IRS today told me that TurboTax will send the refund to a bank account over which they have control in order to withdrawal any fees you opted to pay for with your refund. I can't remember at this point, but I do believe that I chose this option to pay for the TT fees. She believes that the money is with a TT bank account. But even if that is the case, the fees were absolutely not in the amount of $511, which is what my Federal refund was. I don't even know if this bank is actually affiliated with TT. All attempts to contact the bank and TT about this issue have resulted in nothing but victim blaming and dismissive attitudes. So please explain to me how my federal refund ended up in a bank account that I did not enter for my direct deposit at a bank that I have never heard of before. Then, tell me who I need to talk to in order to get my money. It is almost time to file for 2023. How am I supposed to trust TurboTax with my filing after this fiasco? We really need that money and we have been so much more than patient. Someone needs to contact me immediately to remedy this issue because my patience is at an end.

[xmasbaby0]

Your tax refund was not sent to TurboTax.   TurboTax does not handle your refund at all.

Santa Barbara Tax Products Group, LLC  (SBTPG) is the bank that handles the Refund Processing Service when you choose to have your TurboTax fees deducted from your refund. This option also has an additional charge from the bank that processes the transaction. 

You can contact them SBTPG, toll-free, at 1-877-908-7228 or go to their secure website www.sbtpg.com 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2580357-who-provides-the-refund-processing-service

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/refunds/help/who-provides-pay-with-my-refund/00/26410

How can I see my TurboTax  fees?   

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2565973-how-do-i-review-my-fees-in-turbotax-online

What is Refund Processing Service?

[xmasbaby0]

Going forward----if you prepare your 2023 tax return using TurboTax----do not use "refund processing."   Pay your fees upfront BEFORE you file, using a credit or debit card.  That way you will avoid the extra $40 ($45 in CA) refund processing fee and you will completely avoid involvement with the third party bank.  Your refund will come directly to you from the IRS and your state, with no aggravation from an often difficult third party bank.

[SteamTrain]

i.e. NEVER EVER have your software fees deducted from your Federal refund.

Hundreds to thousands of people posting in here will agree with that.

[LauraHorrorshow]

Well, that doesn’t do me much good now. After this, unless they help me to resolve this issue, or at the very least show some modicum of empathy or remorse for the situation they helped to put me in, I do not intend on using TurboTax ever again. I was never informed that access to my entire refund would be handed over to a third party who could do whatever they pleased with it. Had I known that I never would have agreed to pay the processing fees with my refund, which I am not even certain that I did, in any case. I don’t know whether or not this is a bank associated with whatever third party was given access to my refund, that was just the best guess of the representative at the IRS. As I said, I have not been able to reach anyone at this bank to get answers, so your guess is as good as mine. 

[CatinaT1]

When you choose to have your preparation fees paid for out of your refund - this is what happens:

• You pay a fee to a third party (likely SBTBG, a Green Dot company) to facilitate having your fees paid from your refund.
• The fee charged by the third party covers the cost of them opening a checking account for a one time use of depositing your Federal Refund.
• Your refund is deposited into this account from the IRS. The routing number and account number for this account will show on your Federal Return under the Direct Deposit information.
• When the third party receives your refund deposit from the IRS, they take the fees (both the TurboTax fees and their third party fee) out of the amount deposited from the IRS.
• The remaining amount is deposited to the method you chose when you prepared your return. Usually you can choose to have the remaining amount direct deposited into your checking account or receive a debit card from the third party.
• After your remaining amount is deposited to the method you chose, the one time use checking account is closed.

Since you indicated your refund was deposited to Green Dot, you would need to contact them to inquire where your remaining money was sent.

TurboTax is not affiliated with SBTBG and can not get any information from them for you because of privacy laws.

I would look at your paperwork from your 2022 filing and see where you choose to have your remaining refund deposited. This will tell you if you need to check with your banking institution or with Green Dot.

If you had your remaining funds deposited to a debit card from them, they are the only ones who can reissue a card.

I was able to find these numbers for them: 877.908.7228 and 800.901.6663. This is their main website: https://taxpayer.sbtpg.com/ and this is their help center website: https://help.sbtpg.com/hc/en-us