My federal return was sent to TurboTaxe's Green Dot Bank. Two months later I still don't have my refund they owe me and their techs hung up on me twice. What can I do?

[Critter-3]

TT is a DIY program not your "preparer" and the fees are clearly posted ... when you use the refund processing service the fees are not only posted one needs to agree to them 3 times  ... failure of the user to ready the legal document they are agreeing to is not a program error.  

The  refund processing service is an extra fee that is added to the TT fees ... here are just a few of the screens from last year you needed to complete along the way ... at no time was the fee hidden.   

[lharrell]

Same thing happening to me!! I have never had any trouble getting my tax check back! The IRS tracking site says it was deposit on March 17 of 2021. TurboTax says it shows that it was deposited on March 17 but that green dot controls that and when you call them they have no record of your money when you can finally get a hold of someone and then their English is so broken up you can’t even hardly understand him and the phone cracks constantly! I am so beyond frustrated ! Can’t reach anybody at the IRS somebody help me please

[mesquitebean]

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@ lharrell wrote:

Same thing happening to me!! I have never had any trouble getting my tax check back! The IRS tracking site says it was deposit on March 17 of 2021. TurboTax says it shows that it was deposited on March 17 but that green dot controls that and when you call them they have no record of your money when you can finally get a hold of someone and then their English is so broken up you can’t even hardly understand him and the phone cracks constantly! I am so beyond frustrated ! Can’t reach anybody at the IRS somebody help me please

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This is a user community forum, but I can tell you some things to try.

I'll assume that since you are posting in this thread topic, that you chose to pay the TurboTax product fees out of your Federal refund (or that you had a Refund Advance to pay back.)   That method uses an intermediary bank to receive the funds and subtract the fees. The company that handles that process is SBTPG (Santa Barbara Tax Products Group.)   

 I don't know whom you called when you said "Green Dot."  SBTPG is indeed a Green Dot company, but you have to phone SBTPG directly.   However, SBTPG also has a refund lookup tool on their website.   I'll tell you how to look it up and/or speak to SBTPG, and also how to speak to the IRS, and, if needed, the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service.

SBTPG refund lookup tool:

At this link click on the "For Taxpayers" portal, then on the next page choose "Check with TPG."

https://www.sbtpg.com/

SBTPG has a phone contact page at the following link. It also shows their business hours.  Even when they are closed, you may be able to get automated info, or you can log in as above.

https://help.sbtpg.com/hc/en-us/articles/230084587-Contact-Information

If SBTPG says they never received your deposit from the IRS, here's how to speak to a live agent at the IRS, but it won't be easy due to pandemic-related staff shortages, busy tax season, extra duties with stimulus payments, etc.

IRS:  800-829-1040 (7AM-7 PM local time) Monday-Friday

When calling the IRS do not choose the first choice re: "Refund", or it will send you to an automated phone line.

• First choose your language.  Then listen to each menu before making the selection.
• Then press 2 for "personal income tax".
• Then press 1 for "form, tax history, or payment".  
• Then press 3 "for all other questions."
• Then press 2 "for all other questions." 
• It may then ask for your SSN, but do not enter it.  Just wait.    If it asks for SSN a second time, still do not enter it.
• Then it will get "tired", and you'll get another menu.  Choose 2 for "personal".
• Then in the next menu choose 4 for "all other inquiries", and it should transfer you to an agent but expect a long wait.
• I usually use a speakerphone so I can work on something else while waiting.

If you continue to have no luck reaching the IRS, you can try contacting the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service for your area.    They are especially prone to help if you have an economic hardship, or if there have been continued delays with lack of info from the IRS.    At the following IRS website, find the USA map and click on your state, and it will give you the number of your IRS Taxpayer Advocate.    If the Taxpayer Advocate can't/won't help you, ask them to transfer you to an an IRS agent.  A couple of users reported that at least for them, that was a backdoor route to the IRS.

http://www.irs.gov/uac/Contact-a-Local-Taxpayer-Advocate

Also see this article for more info on how the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service works::
http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc104.html

[cljaymes]

I called the number given to me to get in touch with Green Dot Bank. I ask them where they were located and the girl said La-Jolla, California. Never heard of it. Anyway I did direct deposit  and it has been 16 weeks and still no refund.

[DoninGA]

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@cljaymes wrote:

I called the number given to me to get in touch with Green Dot Bank. I ask them where they were located and the girl said La-Jolla, California. Never heard of it. Anyway I did direct deposit  and it has been 16 weeks and still no refund.

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La Jolla, California is a town in San Diego county CA.

Did you e-file your tax return and was it accepted?
Only the IRS and your State control when and if a Federal or State tax refund is Approved and Issued.

You complete your tax return by finishing all 3 Steps in the File section. In Step 3, to e-file your tax return, you must click on the large Orange button labeled "Transmit my returns now".

After completing the File section and e-filing your tax return you will receive two emails from TurboTax. The first email when your tax return was transmitted and the second email when the tax return has either been accepted or rejected.

Note - Once a tax return has been Accepted by the IRS or a State, TurboTax receives no further information concerning the tax return or the status of any tax refund.  Only the taxpayer listed on the tax return can obtain the status of a tax refund or a tax return.

To check the status of an e-filed return, open up your desktop product or log into your TurboTax Online Account. You can find your status within the TurboTax product.
If accepted by the IRS use the federal tax refund website to check the refund status - https://www.irs.gov/refunds
If accepted by the state use this TurboTax support FAQ to check the state tax refund status - https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899433-how-do-i-track-my-state-refund

After the tax return has been Accepted by the IRS (meaning only that they received the return) it will be in the Processing mode until the tax refund has been Approved and then an Issue Date will be available on the IRS website.
See this IRS website for federal tax refund FAQ's - https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions
If over 21 days since being Accepted by the IRS and the tax refund is still Processing you can call the IRS and speak with an IRS agent concerning your tax refund.
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 4 for all other inquiries
It should then transfer you to an agent.

[clsarr63]

I never received my federal income tax check.  I did it in  May and now its JULY. not only that I DIDN'T GET MY STIMLUS CHECK EITHER.

[DoninGA]

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@clsarr63 wrote:

I never received my federal income tax check.  I did it in  May and now its JULY. not only that I DIDN'T GET MY STIMLUS CHECK EITHER.

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Did you e-file your tax return and was it accepted?
Only the IRS and your State control when and if a Federal or State tax refund is Approved and Issued.

You complete your tax return by finishing all 3 Steps in the File section. In Step 3, to e-file your tax return, you must click on the large Orange button labeled "Transmit my returns now".

After completing the File section and e-filing your tax return you will receive two emails from TurboTax. The first email when your tax return was transmitted and the second email when the tax return has either been accepted or rejected.

Note - Once a tax return has been Accepted by the IRS or a State, TurboTax receives no further information concerning the tax return or the status of any tax refund.  Only the taxpayer listed on the tax return can obtain the status of a tax refund or a tax return.

To check the status of an e-filed return, open up your desktop product or log into your TurboTax Online Account. You can find your status within the TurboTax product.
If accepted by the IRS use the federal tax refund website to check the refund status - https://www.irs.gov/refunds
If accepted by the state use this TurboTax support FAQ to check the state tax refund status - https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899433-how-do-i-track-my-state-refund

After the tax return has been Accepted by the IRS (meaning only that they received the return) it will be in the Processing mode until the tax refund has been Approved and then an Issue Date will be available on the IRS website.

The IRS is seriously behind in processing 2020 tax returns.  This is due to many factors, such as the pandemic, completing processing of millions of 2019 tax returns, stimulus payments, unemployment compensation exclusion tax refunds., changes in the tax code by Congress in the middle of the 2020 tax season and the like.

Millions of taxpayers have not yet received there federal tax refunds.

Go to this IRS website for operational status - https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-operations-during-covid-19-mission-critical-functions-continue

 As of July 3, 2021, we had 16.8 million unprocessed individual returns in the pipeline. Unprocessed returns include tax year 2020 returns such as those requiring correction to the Recovery Rebate Credit amount or validation of 2019 income used to figure the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC). This work does not require us to correspond with taxpayers but does require special handling by an IRS employee so, in these instances, it is taking the IRS more than 21 days to issue any related refund. If, as a result, a correction is made to any RRC, EITC or ACTC claimed on the return, the IRS will send taxpayers an explanation. Taxpayers are encouraged to continue to check Where’s My Refund? for their personalized refund status and can review Tax Season Refund Frequently Asked Questions.

What you should do: If you filed electronically and received an acknowledgement, you do not need to take any further action other than promptly responding to any requests for information. If you filed on paper, check Where’s my refund? If it tells you we have received your return or are processing or reviewing it, we are processing your return, but it may be under review. We’re working hard to get through the backlog. Please don’t file a second tax return or contact the IRS about the status of your return.

[Sasha4433]

Turbo sent my money to Green Dot Bank I will find a good and brave layer to sue for 10 million $

[mesquitebean]

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Sasha4433 wrote:

Turbo sent my money to Green Dot Bank I will find a good and brave layer to sue for 10 million $

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Did you mean the IRS sent your Federal refund to a Green Dot Bank account?  

This is a user community forum, not a direct route to TurboTax Support, but we may be able to tell you what is going on. 

Does this IRS tool show your refund has been sent?

https://www.irs.gov/refunds

Here are a couple of possibilities in which Green Dot Bank can be involved:

1) Did you have any TurboTax fees that you chose to pay out of your Federal refund?   If so, the funds go from the IRS to a temporary account at an intermediary bank where the fees are subtracted.   That intermediary bank takes out the fees and sends the rest of the refund to one's bank account (or card) in a second direct deposit.   The company that handles that process is called SBTPG (Santa Barbara Tax Products Group), which is a Green Dot company.    If you selected that option to pay the fees out of your Federal refund, and if the IRS has actually released your refund and sent it to the intermediary bank, here's how to check on the funds using the SBTPG refund lookup tool.

Choose the "For Taxpayers" portal at:
https://www.sbtpg.com/

Then on the next page choose "Check with TPG."

2)  Or did you choose to receive your refund deposit on a Turbo Visa Debit Card?   If so, that card is also administered by Green Dot Bank.

[gomezl3]

My problem isn't my refund, that came through just fine. My problem is the IRS sent me STIMULUS to this temporary account. I called the IRS and they wont give me the account number. I called Green Dot and they cant find my account because I DONT HAVE AN ACCOUNT WITH THEM! How is it possible that my refund can be direct deposited without knowing this temporary account number but my stimulus is lost in the ether? I swear I am NEVER using TurboTax again. I didnt even use my refund to pay for filing this year, it was the account from last year. 

[Critter-3]

Go to the IRS website for your tax account to see what the IRS has sent to you for stimulus payments - https://www.irs.gov/payments/view-your-tax-account

If you never received the stimulus payment shown on your account then have the IRS put a trace on the payment.  Go to this IRS website for how to start a trace - https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/questions-and-answers-about-the-first-economic-impact-payment-topic-f-p...

[Jessicapeacock2315]

I was to receive my refund 10/6/2021 after filing on 3/23/2021 almost 8 months and still nothing! IRS sent refund to wrong account my bank rejected it then told by IRS they sent by check but does not forward to new addresses now in Green Dot account amd no one can tell me any updates when I call. Funny thing my early child tax credit for next year made it here... ugh can I please please just get my refund before NEXT YEAR!!! 

[Jessicapeacock2315]

Same issue!!! I have an irs tracking number and Green Dot stated it doesn't exist in their system I filed 3/23/2021 and still nothing was told 10/6 but nothing came irs said call Green dot Green dot says we don't have your money 

THIS IS THEIFT !!!!! 

[Mindi2021]

My husband is going through the same thing, did you have any luck getting the problem resolved?

[Anonymous]

I didn't even file with TurboTax, I filed with HR block, with my direct deposit info being my checking account .. How the hell does a stimulus from March and my refund from 2020 end up in a Green Dot account? By the time I got a card activated my entire 5517 refund is gone! I don't even know what to do now