I filed my taxes using Turbo Tax on February 5th, 2022. The federal and state government accepted my return right away. I got a notice for the IRS that my tax refund was to be directly deposited on February 24th. February 24th came by and went and not tax refund was deposited into my back account. I called Turbo Tax who then told me that because I choose the option to have the Turbo Tax fee taken out of my tax refund, the company called SBTPG processes the refund and takes the fee out and then is supposed to directly deposit the rest in my bank account. I then was directed by Turbo Tax to call SBTPG. I called them and they informed me that the refund was “rejected” by my bank that a “print check” was issued and was “pending”. I called my bank and they informed me that nothing came in and nothing was "rejected". I was on the phone with Turbo Tax and SBTPG many times last week, and no one could give me a straight answer as to where my tax refund was and when it was to be mailed out. On one of these phone calls, they also told me that it was loaded to a "card"? I checked my actual tax return, and my bank account number and routing number is absolutely 100% CORRECT. When I called Turbo Tax and SBTPG, I told them this, but they told me that it must have been incorrect because it got "rejected" by the bank. The account information on my official tax return is absolutely 100% CORRECT. I have spoken to at least 8 different people from both Turbo Tax and SBTPG, and no one has given me a straight answer as to where my tax refund is. I have also been given different information every time I call. It has now been almost 2 weeks since my tax refund was supposed to be directly deposited into my bank account. The IRS website states it has been directly deposited into my account, the Turbo Tax website states that it has been directly deposited into my account, and the SBTPG website states it has been directly deposited into my account. I paid for a service through Turbo Tax, and I have not gotten my tax refund yet, and they are using a company (SBTPG) to process that payment who is holding onto MY tax refund. This is criminal! I am a working poor, single mother raising 5 children! I desperately depend on this refund! It is MY money, not SBTPG's. My tax refund should have been deposited into my bank account using DD. I had the correct information. If there was a mistake, it was on SBTPG's end. They have been wholly unhelpful over the phone, and I have been given no recourse to have this resolved. I do not know where my tax refund is. I need to know where it is and when it coming! This is criminal! The mistake was made on SBTPG and Turbo Tax's end. I want my refund and the money that I paid Turbo Tax for this horrible and unprofessional service and heart ache!
You are causing yourself a lot of unnecessary stress and worry. When the bank rejects the refund, the money goes back to the IRS and the IRS mails a paper check to your address on the return. Mail out of DC is painfully slow. I waited more than six weeks to receive a letter from the IRS.
Contact the IRS, find when your check was mailed and ask to have a trace put on the check. It is most likely sitting in a mail truck somewhere and will get to you in time. The person at the bank probably does not know how to look up the rejection so told you it did not exist. If it was not rejected, the money would be in your account.
In this case
When the bank rejects the refund, the money goes back to SBTPG and the SBTPG mails a paper check to your address on the return.
I’m having the same issue. The IRS deposited my money days ago and no one seems to know where it’s at. With fraudulent claims of getting it 5 days in advance to them claiming the IRS never sent it. I will be contacting the BBB Monday as I’ve heard this is a big issues for many many people!
I am having the EXACT same issue! They told me to wait 7-10 business days it’s been way over that and I keep getting different answers. SBTPG were supposed to send it back to IRS but they didn’t and this is the problem now they are holding on to millions of people checks while we are stuck waiting. I say file a criminal investigation with the IRS for anyone having this issue .
No no no they aren’t mailing crap which is the issue everyone is having !!
Your money is being held hostage by Credit Karma. I just spent several hours on the phone with Turbo Tax, Credit Karma and SBTG. You have to create an account at Credit Karma (but they make it impossible to do that) and supposedly you can get your refund. My issue is still not resolved, but I hope I can help someone else!
The number for Credit Karma is: [phone number removed]
I discovered that my issue was that I had asked Turbo Tax to take the audit fee out of my refund. This caused SBTPG to process the refund, issued to them, and then deposit the reduced amount to my account.
I was looking for a specific refund amount and "IRS" and it turned out it was a different amount and "SBTPG" was on the record in my account.
This might apply to some people. Do a search for SBTPG and see if something was deposited
They have done the same thing to me two years in a row now if you have any luck getting your issue resolved please let me know so that I can contact same people you did...the first time it was 2900 second time is $5800 and cost me $400 to have them do it
That is BS because sbtpg is who has control over all of it.. and not to mention all the fraudulent charges I'm getting in my name from the same town the bank is located in what a coincidence
Hello! I am also going through the same thing! I filed in April and I received my state on May. I still have not received my federal. They told me that a print bank check was sent out on May 6th coming from California. I am in Massachusetts. They told me the mail is behind. I've been calling them for two months and they gave me an email address for support and it was fake. Now they sent me a paper to notarized to get another check sent out. Something it going on. They told me that the check should've already arrived. I am so frustrated. I am a single mother also. I am definitely going to contact the IRS and never doing business with Turbo tax again! I just tried calling the number and its not going through. I need help!
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
@Jtison08 wrote:
- Hi if you could please contact me at [phone number removed] my name is Jessica thank you
This is a public website and is not TurboTax support so no one can call you. Your phone number has been removed for your protection by the forum software.
What is your question?
If you haven't got it yet it takes a while but u have to file a trace with the IRS to track the money and I had so many problems with both TurboTax and sbptg they held my tax refund for almost 6 months I know this won't help right away but it's what I had to do
@Shouse2024 You have posted to an old thread that has posts from multiple users. What exactly are you trying to do?
I am also missing my IRS refund; I filed mine March 2023 using intuit turbo tax. The IRS refund website says only that my Tax return was received, and this is January 2025. I can't reach anyone on the phone at the IRS, this is a nightmare.
@hollylovebirds So your problem is with the IRS if the IRS is still only showing your 2023 return as "received" but they have not processed it yet.
Call the IRS: 1-800-829-1040 hours 7 AM - 7 PM local time Monday-Friday
When calling the IRS do NOT choose the first option re: "Refund", or it will send you to an automated phone line.
So after first choosing your language, then do NOT choose Option 1 (refund info). Choose option 2 for "personal income tax" instead.
Then press 1 for "form, tax history, or payment".
Then press 3 "for all other questions."
Then press 2 "for all other questions."
- When it asks you to enter your SSN or EIN to access your account information, don't enter anything.
- After it asks twice, you will get another menu.
Press 2 for personal or individual tax questions.
Then press 3 for all other inquiries
It should then transfer you to an agent.
TAX ADVOCATE
See this article for more info on how the Taxpayer Advocate Service works::
http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc104.html
https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/
@hollylovebirds wrote:
I am also missing my IRS refund; I filed mine March 2023 using intuit turbo tax. The IRS refund website says only that my Tax return was received, and this is January 2025. I can't reach anyone on the phone at the IRS, this is a nightmare.
Call the IRS: 1-800-829-1040 hours 7 AM - 7 PM local time Monday-Friday
When calling the IRS do NOT choose the first option re: "Refund", or it will send you to an automated phone line.
So after first choosing your language, then do NOT choose Option 1 (refund info). Choose option 2 for "personal income tax" instead.
Then press 1 for "form, tax history, or payment".
Then press 3 "for all other questions."
Then press 2 "for all other questions."
- When it asks you to enter your SSN or EIN to access your account information, don't enter anything.
- After it asks twice, you will get another menu.
Press 2 for personal or individual tax questions.
Then press 3 for all other inquiries
It should then transfer you to an agent.
Or you can contact your local IRS office. See this IRS website for local IRS offices - http://www.irs.gov/uac/Contact-Your-Local-IRS-Office-1 or call 1-844-545-5640 to set up an appointment
Or you may want to contact a Taxpayer Advocate in your area. See this IRS website for Taxpayer Advocate in your area and a toll free number - http://www.irs.gov/Advocate/Local-Taxpayer-Advocate
If you paid for TurboTax with your refund, a TurboTax agent can look and see what amount the IRS released to SBTPG. Often money is owed for child support, student loans, or back taxes and the IRS takes what is owed from your refund. You need to investigate what is going on with the IRS and whete this money is. TurboTax never gets the money. If there is a problem with your account and money canniot be deposited then the money goes back to the IRS to be sent in a check.
I have been dealing with the exact same thing...Turbo Tax and that same Santa Barbara company. We're being hacked bad. I have started identifying actual ppl and getting locations but I can't go into that part further. It's really happening and it's CRIMINAL AS F! I AM NOW ON TAX RETURN NUMBER TWO THAT I CANT GET AND IM A SINGLE MOM ALSO AND ITS RUINING ME AND NY DAUGHTERS LIVES. IM PURSUING IT EVERYWAY POSSIBLE NOW. GNA REACH OUT TO NEWS PPL LIKE CALL CURTIS AND SCAMMER PAYBACK CUZ THIS IS A HUGE STORY FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN READING NOW THAT IVE BEEN RESEARCHING OTHERS ITS HAPPENING TOO. THERE A TON OF US GOING THRU THIS SO WE NEED TO LINK UP AND CLEAR THESE POS LAMES WHO CANT MAKE THEIR OWN MONEY OUT. I GREW UP POOR HAVE NEVER BEEN GIVEN ANYTHING SO I AM NOT THE ONE TO TREAT LIKE I HAVE DISPOSABLE INCOME TO JUST THROW AROUND. I HAVENT BEEN ABLE TO SEE AND LIVE WITH NY OWN CHILD CAUSING ALMOST SUICIDAL STUFF MAN CUZ I DONT HAVE THE MONEY NOW SO I HAVE TO LET HER LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE WHILE IM HERE BATTLING AN ENEMY I DARE TO COME OUT BEHIND THAT KEYBOARD SO ITS ONE HELL OF A MIND AND EMOTION AND LIFE **bleep**.
The person who posted ..." When banks rejects it goes to STBG"....THATS THE VUNERABLE SPOT OBVIOUSLY....THESE SCAMMERS KNOW THE PROCESS AND ARE BEATING US TO MAKING A CONNECTION WITH STBG......OMG YOUR MY HERO....WE HAVE TO START WITH STBG...ILL POST AS I GET SOMEWHERE....FINALLY
I have been a loyal TurboTax user for the past eight years. However, my experience this year has been extremely disappointing. When the IRS sent my refund to your partner bank, there was no issue deducting their fees—even with supposed "suspicious activity." Yet, when it came to depositing the remaining funds into my account, my refund was withheld, causing significant inconvenience.
After researching the situation, I was surprised to find that this has happened to many others as well. Unfortunately, this reflects very poorly on TurboTax. I will not be using your services moving forward.
According to the information provided, it may take 10–12 weeks for the refund to be returned to the IRS, at which point I’ll be issued a paper check. That timeline is unacceptable. Direct deposit takes minutes—not months. The notion that your bank can immediately deduct funds while delaying the return of the remainder raises serious ethical concerns.
I’m deeply disappointed with the level of customer service and the excessive fees, especially given the lack of transparency and accountability. I genuinely feel for all the individuals who have had similar experiences.
One final question: Why is it acceptable for your bank to take its portion of my refund under the guise of "suspicious activity," but not acceptable for me to receive the rest of my refund?