Why did I get a deposit from TPG Products for less than half of my return?

[MichelleLO]

Did you choose to pay your TurboTax fees with your refund? 

If so, when you choose to pay your TurboTax fees with your tax refund, your refund is handled through Santa Barbara Tax Products Group (TPG) which is a refund processing service. You can visit the Santa Barbara Tax Products Group website for assistance with your refund.

 @Pagolan73 

[Boracho1309]

I did not see anything about a 3rd party agent making my refund when I filed.  Nor did I authorize a 3rd party to have access to my financial accounts.  TurboTax need to step up its game in being transparent about how a refund from the IRS will be handled.   I won't make the same mistake next year!

[DoninGA]

---

@Boracho1309 wrote:

I did not see anything about a 3rd party agent making my refund when I filed.  Nor did I authorize a 3rd party to have access to my financial accounts.  TurboTax need to step up its game in being transparent about how a refund from the IRS will be handled.   I won't make the same mistake next year!

---

When you requested to have your TurboTax account fees deducted from the federal tax refund you had to agree and sign the agreement twice before the agreement could be finalized.

Read and accept this Refund Processing Service Agreement
The Refund Processing Service is provided to you through TurboTax by Santa Barbara Tax Products Group, LLC, a division of Green Dot Corporation, a Delaware corporation, (“Processor”) using banking services of Green Dot Bank, Member FDIC (“Bank”). The scroll box below contains the Refund Processing Service Agreement (the “Agreement”). The Agreement contains terms and conditions which authorize Bank to receive your 2022 federal tax refund(s) from the IRS and Processor to deduct applicable fees. Other information in the Agreement includes your consent to the release of your refund(s) and certain other information from your tax return(s) to Bank and Processor so they can make certain deductions (see Section 2 of the Agreement).
By selecting “I Agree,” you (and your spouse, if this is a joint return) are agreeing to and accepting the terms and conditions of this Agreement. In addition, by clicking the “I Agree” button below, you electronically sign and authorize Intuit Inc. (and its third party processor) to debit your TurboTax fees, fees for any additional products and services, and any applicable sales tax directly from your personal bank account listed below if your federal refund(s) is not sufficient to cover this amount or if your refund(s) is delayed and an alternative payment arrangement was not made. Note that the Refund Processing Service fee of $39.00 is payable to Processor whether or not your refund(s) is large enough to cover your TurboTax fees. Any amounts outstanding pursuant to this Agreement may also be deducted from refunds that you may receive up to 24 months after the date of this Agreement and process through the Processor.
CUSTOMER SERVICE 877-908-7228

[Markallen1]

I’m dealing with it right now mine was 1,400 to short

[VolvoGirl]

1400 could be owed  from your 2021 return if the IRS adjusted 2021 for the Recovery Rebate Credit (3rd Stimulus payment) that was 1,400 person on line 30.  A lot of people got the wrong amount on line 30 last year.

[mrvlusmrg]

This BS just happened to me for the 2022 tax year filed 2023.   I chose to take the fees ( $317 )  for my filing out of my refund of $1686 and was expecting a deposit of $1369.   Fast forward until the deposit of  only $656 from TPG went into my account today.  I've used Turbotax for years and have NEVER had this sort of thing happen.  When checking on the IRS where's my refund site, this is what is showing:

Your tax refund has been approved for direct deposit.

However, it may be partially or completely reduced to pay a past due obligation, such as child support, another federal agency debt, or state income tax. If so, the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS), who issues IRS refunds, will send you a notice with the amount of the debt and contact information. The details of the debt are not provided to the IRS. This application will be updated with the refund amount remaining, if any, after the debt is deducted.

If your refund is not credited to your account by May 1, 2023, please revisit this site or use our free mobile app, IRS2Go, for your revised refund status. Updates to refund status are made no more than once a day.

(The graph shows my refund status at the second bar.)

Turbotax, this is why I got the premium package.  Fix this nonsense and send me the remaining $713 ASAP if you'd like to keep me as a customer for your product.

[xmasbaby0]

@mrvlusmrg TurboTax does not ever receive or even touch your refund.   The IRS issued your refund to the third party bank and that bank sent you the refund you received.   Check the IRS refund site to see what it says. 

 Does the IRS say they issued the amount you expected---$1369---- or does it have some message there that says your refund was reduced for child support, back taxes, etc.?   That seems to be what you are saying.   That means the IRS kept part of your refund for a debt you owed.  You will have to sort that out with the IRS.     The IRS will send you a letter in several weeks and there should be a phone number on it that you can call.

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

[xmasbaby0]

@mrvlusmrg 

TurboTax cannot and does not intercede with the IRS for you.   TurboTax gets no information after you file your tax return.  TT knows nothing about any back tax or child support etc. you might owe.    This is between you and the IRS.

 refund offset.

https://www.irs.gov/uac/tax-refund-offsets-pay-unpaid-debts

 IRS Treasury Offset Program Call Center at 1-800-304-3107

 https://www.irs.gov/uac/tax-refund-offsets-pay-unpaid-debts

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/refunds/help/what-is-a-refund-offset/00/26301

Reduced Refund      https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc203

 NOTE: You can contact the IRS Treasury Offset Program Call Center at 1-800-304-3107 to ask if they have an offset for you on file. TurboTax would not have that information.

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/tax-payments/who-can-garnish-an-income-tax-refund/L7cPPzDyc

TurboTax does not receive feedback from the IRS regarding money that was offset from your refund.  If you owed back taxes or child support, you will receive a letter of explanation from the IRS in several weeks.  The WMR site will contain a message regarding your offset.  It is also possible that the IRS caught a mistake you made and reduced your refund.

[Thomas16]

I got a deposit from these people  here.   

TPG PRODUCTS for SBTPG LLC

 and not IRS my refund was not what   was told on TurboTax.  How can they just take people money without talking to the first.  Like over a 100.00 why omg 

[DoninGA]

---

@Thomas16 wrote:

I got a deposit from these people  here.   

TPG PRODUCTS for SBTPG LLC

 and not IRS my refund was not what   was told on TurboTax.  How can they just take people money without talking to the first.  Like over a 100.00 why omg 

---

Is the amount sent/issued by the IRS the same as the refund amount shown on your federal tax return Form 1040 Line 35a? - https://www.irs.gov/refunds

If not, then go to this IRS website for information on reduced refunds - https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc203

Have you factored in the TurboTax account fees and the TPG service charge of $40 plus any applicable sales tax?
Review your TurboTax account fees -
Sign onto the TurboTax website with the User ID you used to create the account - https://myturbotax.intuit.com/
Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and on the section Your tax returns & documents click on View Order Details

If you requested to have the TurboTax account fees deducted from your federal tax refund, the IRS will send the refund to a third party processor to have the fees and the service charge deducted. The third party processor will deduct the TurboTax fees plus the service charge and then attempt to direct deposit the remaining refund balance into the account that you entered on your tax return.

For the status of your tax refund you will need to contact the third party processor, Santa Barbara Tax Product Group, using their website - https://www.sbtpg.com/

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

Call 1-877-908-7228

Or - TPG-CSsupport@greendotcorp.com

[ItoG]

It’s far less than expected 

[CatinaT1]

Know that your Federal and State refunds will come separately. Your refund could also be offset.

The IRS and State Governments have the ability to offset a refund to pay for certain past due debts.  You generally will receive a letter stating what the offset was for.   

The IRS provides a toll-free number, (800) 304-3107, to call for information about tax offsets.

[Frances8]

This problem was from last year my taxes were right I got both refunds this year with no problems why am I seeing this message please cancel

[Juicyjustice]

Mine as well!

[DoninGA]

@Juicyjustice  You will have to contact SBTPG for the status of the tax refund.

For the status of your tax refund you will need to contact the third party processor, Santa Barbara Tax Product Group, using their website - https://www.sbtpg.com/

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

Call 1-877-908-7228

Or - TPG-CSsupport@greendotcorp.com