@ jsabeh2 wrote:
I'm sure it was my federal return, I did get my fee deducted out of my return (the difference in amount versus what was filed is way over that small fee amount). The IRS website does not show that there was a difference in my return or any offset being applied when I go under the refund tracker (thank you for the links). Is there somewhere I can see more specific details?
Also, are you sure it was a tax refund and not a Federal stimulus payment?
When you choose to pay the TurboTax fees out of your Federal refund, that process uses an intermediary bank that receives the refund from the IRS in a temporary account in your name, subtracts the fees plus the extra $40-45 service fee, then sends the rest to you. The third-party company that handles that is SBTPG (Santa Barbara Tax Products Group.) So if you paid fees by that method, your Federal refund deposit would show in your bank account as coming from a company called SBTPG, or Tax Products Group. The deposit in your bank account would not be from the IRS or US Treasury. Check the description of the deposit in your bank account.
You could log into your temporary account at SBTPG, and it may have info there on the amount they received from the IRS and how much they subtracted for fees before sending it on to you.
To log in, choose the taxpayer portal at this link, then choose "Check with TPG."
https://www.sbtpg.com/
If it turns out the IRS lowered your refund amount, then you'd have to wait on a letter or phone them to ask.
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.
