TAX PRODUCTS PE1 TYPE: SBTPG LLC DATA: BTSN CO: TAX PRODUCTS PE1

[fireoak41]

I again used Turbo Tax to do my 2019 taxes. I'm waiting for my State tax refund of $635.00 and I see the title above for $875.01 deposit to my Bank checking account. What is that for or what line item was adjusted if any. I don't know if it's a State or a Federal tax issue. Please advise.

[email address removed] (J. Roberts)

[mesquitebean]

Did you choose to pay any TurboTax product fees out of your Federal refund?   That payment method also has an additional $40 service fee ($45 for California filers) and possible sales tax.

That description you posted looks like a deposit from the intermediary company (SBTPG) that first receives your funds from the IRS, then subtracts the TurboTax fees, then sends the rest to your bank account (or card.)   You said "bank checking account" above.

However, you only mentioned that you were waiting on your state refund.   You didn't say anything about your Federal refund.

  The third-party company in the description suggests that is a Federal refund if you indeed chose to pay product fees out of your Federal refund.  Or had you already received your Federal refund?  

[mesquitebean]

BTW, this is a public Internet forum.  For your privacy and security, please do not post personal info in this public forum.  No telling who might try to contact you and spam/scam you.  It looks like the forum privacy filter redacted your email address above for your privacy/security.   If you want to remove anything else, such as your name, you can edit your question by clicking the 3-dot icon just to the right of your question title, then choosing Edit.

[mundoholly]

I filed my refund in April with TurboTax and still haven't recieved it. I did get an email a month and a half again stating it will be deposited soon. I will not be using TurboTax again.

[xmasbaby0]

Really--are you blaming TurboTax for the pandemic that caused the IRS to become backlogged?

Waiting is frustrating—refunds are taking longer in many cases.  These are not normal times.  It is not possible for TurboTax to speed up the IRS for you.   They are short staffed; and they are processing millions of tax returns at the same time that they have been burdened with the task of processing millions of stimulus checks. 

To check on regular tax refund status via automated phone, call 800-829-1954. (This line has no information on Economic Impact Payments.)

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

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.  Many refunds are taking longer during the pandemic. 

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 20 of your 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://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...

[Joeyf]

I have a similar issue. I checked with the IRS and it matches turbo tax refund info. The funds were sent to SBTPG and 481.76 of the total was deposited into my account.  The total refund was about 1600.00 .  SBTPG did not contact me at all. I figured it out from the deposit into my account and several other sources.  Glad to see Turbo Tax website finally posted a link to SBTPG for us to continue our scavenger hunt.    I looked on SBTPG website and it indicated that it was probably due incorrect information or unusual activity on my SSI number.  I have life lock and I have a clean SSI  according to them.  SBTPG already deposited some of the money, so why are they holding the remainder up now? They obviously have my routing number for my bank account and have already deposited some. What information is incorrect?     It has been over 2 months. 

It has been a failure on their part.  Turbo Tax executives have failed in setting up this arrangement.  I wish I would have just paid outright for all of it upfront instead of choosing the option to take the payment out of my refund. That was where the issue lies.   Turbo tax has been a great product that I have used for over 20 years without any reservation for my personal and business taxes. I have used that payment option before without any issues.   

Turbo Tax guarantee promises were kept by Turbo Tax.   Unfortunately, there was nothing indicating that it would be a timely deposit into our account or that they fully vetted their partners on their ability to offer the same level of service Turbo Tax has provided throughout the years. 

 To the leadership of turbo tax, you can blame it on your second party vender.  The truth is that it was a failure of leadership to choose such a poorly vetted party to do business with.   I am not sure how much time will I be spent trying to get this money, but if I choose to use Turbo tax next year, I will make sure pay everything in advance to avoid SBTPG.   I am sure you have lost a number of customers for this.  I would hope that those responsible for setting up these these financial arrangements are made aware of the additional work and the poor customer service we have experienced.  I think Turbo Tax got the short end on this one.   

Turbo Tax really is an excellent product and I am really surprised. 

[mesquitebean]

@ Joeyf  

Sorry you're having trouble, but you're preaching to the choir here.  This is mainly a user community forum, so TurboTax folks will not see your posting.  But we can tell you some things to check.

What did you mean by the term "total refund" above?   Did you have both Federal and state refunds?   If so, only the Federal refund goes through SBTPG.      A state refund comes directly from the state tax agency.  And is your Federal refund on your  Federal return Form 1040, Line 21a approx. $1600? 

You mentioned the IRS.  Did you talk to an IRS agent, and they confirmed that the IRS did not reduce your refund, and that they sent approx. $1600 to SBTPG?

Have you talked to a SBTPG customer support agent by phone?  If not, I've provided a link below.

And when you use the taxpayer tool at the SBTPG website to look up your refund, when you enter your info, does it say how much they received from the IRS?

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

[waltru813]

why is my refund 125.00 short from the 1973.00 I was to get?  I was told that is what to get. If I have to pay a fee Iwill never use turbo tax again .

[DoninGA]

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@waltru813 wrote:

why is my refund 125.00 short from the 1973.00 I was to get?  I was told that is what to get. If I have to pay a fee Iwill never use turbo tax again .

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You requested to have the TurboTax account fees paid from the federal tax refund.  There is also a $40 service charge for the totally optional service.

[waltru813]

why dont u reply to my message? reply by email or better yet call me or give me a number to call.

[waltru813]

where did the other 45.00 go?

[waltru813]

where did the other 45.00 go? last time I use turbo tax.

[mesquitebean]

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@ waltru813 wrote:

where did the other 45.00 go? last time I use turbo tax.

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This is a user community forum, not a direct route to TurboTax Support.  But based on a fee of $125 we can take a guess at what you might have used.

I suspect you used Online Deluxe.   If not, you need to provide some info. 

Federal return:  $40

State return: $40

Optional:  Pay fees out of Federal refund:   Additional service fee of $40 or $45, depending on whether it's California or not.  In California, the fee is $45 (where it is bundled as Premium Services)..

So that adds up to $120  (or $125 if you are in California.)

Plus possible sales tax.

The extra fee is for that optional "pay out of refund" option.   That service fee is avoided if one chooses to pay upfront by credit/debit card.

If you are in California, then you also get additional benefits with the "pay out of the refund" option.  See this FAQ for what is included in California:

FAQ:  What is the Premium Services bundle?

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/choosing-a-product/help/what-is-the-premium-services-bundle/01/255...

[NM16]

I know that money would be taken out for taxes to file. It said $230 to file.  So why is my return  $500 less?  

[mesquitebean]

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@ NM16 wrote:

I know that money would be taken out for taxes to file. It said $230 to file.  So why is my return  $500 less?  

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This is a user community forum.  No one here can see your fees or the amount of your refund.  We don't know what the $230 includes unless you list the products you used.  Part of the fees deducted will be the service fee for paying out of the Federal refund.  That fee is $40 (or $45 for California filers.)

The Federal refund you are due will be the figure on your Form 1040, Line 35a, minus the TurboTax product fees, and minus the $40 (or $45) service fee for that payment option.   There may have also been sales taxes, if applicable.

Are you getting both a Federal refund and a State refund?   If so, was this deposit you received the Federal refund or the state refund?  If it was from Tax Products Group, then that would be the Federal refund.   Don't go by the total of your Federal and state refunds, if applicable.    Is the missing amount explained by a state refund that you haven't yet received?  If so, it comes separately in another deposit straight from the state tax agency.

If it was the IRS that reduced your refund, there may be a message in the "Where's My Refund" tool if it was due to an offset.

https://www.irs.gov/refunds

In any case, if they reduced it, they should send you a letter in 3 or so weeks explaining why.  Or if you want to phone the IRS, you may be able to inquire.

Here's something else you can check.  You can also log into your temporary account at SBTPG (Santa Barbara Tax Products Group) which initially received the Federal refund and took out the fees.  It may show there what they received from the IRS and how much in fees they took out.   To log in, go to the page below, choose the Taxpayer portal, then choose "Check with TPG."

https://www.sbtpg.com/