Why did TurboTax send my return to a random routing and checking account? I e-filed and linked my bank account with my bank login credentials. What do I do?

[tedlewis1991]

I have had the same bank account for 25+ years.  I have filed with TurboTax for over a decade, requesting the refund to be into the same account every year. Last year they had me login to my bank account on their site for e-filing via my bank account login credentials.  Nearly a year later and my return still has not arrived.  Looking at my return I now realize there is a random routing and checking number listed on my tax forms.  Why did this happen?  How could this happen? I have no idea who this account belongs to.

[xmasbaby0]

if you chose to have your TurboTax fees deducted from your federal refund then the banking information on the tax form is the information to send your refund to the third party bank.  That bank gets your refund first from the IRS.  They take out your TurboTax fees and send the rest to you---and that bank has YOUR direct deposit information.

When you choose "refund processing"   TurboTax gets its fees when the IRS releases your refund.  Your refund goes to the third party bank.  The bank takes out your fees and then that bank sends the rest of the refund to you.

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?

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

[tedlewis1991]

So are you saying turbotax charged me $5k for processing?

[xmasbaby0]

No one said TT charged you $5K for processing.   Where do you see that?   If you chose to pay your TurboTax fees from your federal refund, you pay a $40 refund processing fee.  If you are in CA, the refund processing fee is $45.  That is the amount paid to the third party bank that receives your refund from the IRS, takes out your TurboTax fees and sends the rest of your refund to you.   You can avoid having to pay that refund processing fee if BEFORE you file, you pay your fees yourself using a credit or debit card.   That way, you do not involve the third party bank at all.

[tedlewis1991]

My total refund is well over the $40 processing fee, yet my return has never arrived.

[xmasbaby0]

@tedlewis1991 You receive your refund when it is issued by the IRS.

TurboTax gives you an estimated date for receiving your refund based on a 21 day average from your date of acceptance, but it can take longer.  “21 days”  is not a promise from TurboTax or the IRS. 

First, check your e-file status to see if your return was accepted: 

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/efile-status-lookup/

Once your federal return has been accepted by the IRS, only the IRS has any control.  TurboTax does not receive any updates from the IRS. Your ONLY source of information about your refund now is the IRS.

You need your filing status, your Social Security number and the exact amount  (line 35a of your 2023 Form 1040) of your federal refund to track your Federal refund:   

https://www.irs.gov/refunds

To track your state refund:    

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899433-how-do-i-track-my-state-refund

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901548-why-do-some-refunds-take-longer-than-others

If you chose to have your TurboTax fees deducted from your federal refund, that will take some extra time, while the third party bank handles the refund processing.

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

https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2840013-does-accepted-mean-my-refund-is-approved

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2724106-my-return-is-accepted-but-still-not-approved-is-there-a-pr...

If you are getting earned income credit on line 27 or additional child tax credit on line 28 You are subject to the delay required by the PATH act.  Do not expect your refund earlier than late February.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/internal-revenue-service/federal-refunds...

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/irs-tax-return/what-is-the-path-act-and-how-may-it-impact-your-...

[tedlewis1991]

It has been 330 days.  TurboTax has stated both my State and Federal returns were accepted.  The State I reside in confirmed last week that my refund was deposited on March 29, which it was not.  They confirm the account deposited does not match with my own account.   I suspect the same is true with my Federal return.

I have used the "where is my refund" function on the IRS website over half a dozen times last year with no response.  

[xmasbaby0]

Two things-----the third party bank is never involved with your state refund.  That goes straight to your account and never passes through the third party bank.   Only your federal refund goes through the third party bank.   

We have seen a few users who somehow used a bank account that sent their refunds to their investment account  or money market account instead of to their normal checking or savings accounts----so check there.

Or....check with the third party bank to see what happened with the federal refund.

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

[tedlewis1991]

How do I found out who the third party bank account is?  I just left the Federal IRS office, they said my refund was issued to the account listed on my return.  Per your earlier note, that is the third party account.  With the $40 deducted, I should still be getting a sizeable return.

[xmasbaby0]

@tedlewis1991 I have given you the information for the third party bank already.   But here it is again.   

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

[blessyou]

I filed my 2023 tax return on 10/15/2024. The same thing happened. The about 4k tax returns sent to a bank account I never owned. The routine number is JP Morgan Chase 0 7 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 and the bank account number is 5 9 3 8 5 3 8 0 0 2 8 5 5 7 1 1 6. I never have the JP Morgan Chase account my whole life!  I spend about 4 hours with 5 different people from Turbotax including security department/identify thief. They deny anything wrong at TurboTax Side and can't do anything about it!

[DoninGA]

@blessyou Do you have an investment or brokerage account the links to a money market bank account?

[xmasbaby0]

@blessyou

This is a public web site that can be seen by anyone—including scammers and would-be identity thieves who would love to contact you and pretend to be from TurboTax.  Please remove the personal information   (BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER!!!!)   you posted here ASAP by returning to your post and clicking the three little blue dots on the upper right to edit your post.

[VolvoGirl]

@blessyou   One poster found this.....

The refund was sent to a bank I didn't recognize because Schwab where I have an account uses an intermediary bank, JP Morgan. So the refund was in my Schwab account which has little activity and I had not checked. I had not had a refund in so long, I did not remember the default account I had set up years ago for refunds.