I work in banking (not for SBTPG) and can share that ACH transfers follow standard protocols regardless of the sender. Once the IRS initiates the transfer on your DDD, it typically takes 24 hours to reach SBTPG. I received my DDD on February 26th this year, SBTPG showed funded on February 28th around noon, and the money hit my bank account on March 1st. This 2-3 day timeline has been consistent for me across multiple tax years.

As someone who's been using SBTPG for several years now, I can confirm the 2-3 day pattern most people are describing. What I've found helpful is understanding that there are actually three distinct phases: 1) IRS processes your refund and shows DDD on transcript, 2) SBTPG receives funds and updates to "funded" status (usually 1-2 days after DDD), and 3) SBTPG transfers to your bank account (another 1-2 days). The total timeline from transcript DDD to money in your account is typically 3-4 business days. For business planning purposes, I'd recommend budgeting for the longer end of that range to avoid cash flow issues. One tip: SBTPG usually updates their status overnight, so checking first thing in the morning tends to be more productive than checking throughout the day.

Don't know if anyone mentioned this but check if you're eligible for the IRS Free File program instead of regular TurboTax Free. If your adjusted gross income is under $73,000, you can use the premium version of TurboTax completely free (including state) through the IRS partnership. You have to access it through the IRS website though, not by going directly to TurboTax. Google "IRS Free File TurboTax" to find it. It's literally the full Deluxe version but free if you qualify.

This is really helpful! I'm in almost the exact same boat - married filing jointly, W-2s, mortgage, kids, and some savings interest. I've been automatically buying Deluxe every year without thinking about it. Based on what everyone's saying about the standard deduction being $25,900, I should definitely try the free version first. My mortgage interest is probably around $12,000 and donations maybe $1,500, so that's only $13,500 total - way less than the standard deduction. Quick question though - do I need to enter my mortgage interest and donation info at all if I'm taking the standard deduction, or can I just skip those sections entirely? I want to make sure I'm not missing anything important, but also don't want to get tricked into upgrading if I don't need to. Also going to check out that IRS Free File program that was mentioned - our AGI should be under $73k so that might be an even better option. Thanks everyone for all the detailed info!

Has anyone successfully amended from resident to nonresident WITHOUT owing more money? My accountant is telling me I'll definitely end up owing but I've heard some people actually get more money back because of tax treaties?

I went through this exact same situation two years ago! Filed as resident on F1 visa when I should have been nonresident. The good news is that the IRS generally doesn't penalize you for voluntary corrections, especially for residency status mistakes which are super common for international students. You definitely should amend using Form 1040X and file the correct 1040NR. The key is to do it proactively before they catch it. In my case, I actually ended up owing about $200 more because I had to give back some credits I wasn't eligible for as a nonresident, but it was way better than waiting and potentially facing penalties. One thing to check - make sure you look into any tax treaty benefits your country might have with the US. Some countries have special provisions for students that can actually reduce your tax liability. Also, if you had any scholarship income, the treatment might be different as a nonresident (sometimes better!). The whole process took about 8-10 weeks to get resolved, but the IRS sent me a letter confirming the adjustment and I paid the small difference. Much less stressful than I expected!

Lol your boss is stuck in 2017! Mine said the same thing and I almost filed wrong because of it. The tax prep software kept asking about "unreimbursed employee expenses" and I entered everything but then got confused when it didn't seem to do anything with that info. Called my cousin who's an accountant and she explained the 2018 changes. Apparently the only real solution is to get your employer to reimburse you directly. My company now has a much better expense policy because so many employees complained after realizing they couldn't deduct stuff anymore.

Your supervisor means well, but they're definitely giving you outdated advice from before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. As others have mentioned, W-2 employees lost the ability to deduct unreimbursed business expenses in 2018. However, I'd suggest having a conversation with your company about their expense reimbursement policy. Since you're traveling regularly and they're already covering mileage and per diem, they might be willing to expand coverage to include things like safety equipment and protective gear that are genuinely necessary for your job duties. Many employers don't realize how the 2018 tax changes shifted the burden back to companies. What used to be a shared cost (employee pays upfront, gets partial tax benefit) is now entirely on the employee unless the company reimburses. It's worth framing it that way when you approach them - you're not asking for extras, you're asking them to cover legitimate business expenses that employees can no longer write off. Keep those receipts anyway though - you never know if the rules will change again, plus some states still allow these deductions even when federal doesn't.

Remember that there's also the Child Tax Credit to consider. For 2023, it's up to $2,000 per qualifying child under 17. With twins, that's potentially $4,000 in tax credits! This is separate from dependent exemptions (which don't exist anymore) and can significantly reduce tax liability. This credit begins to phase out when income exceeds $200,000 for single filers, which might affect your girlfriend at $230K. You might benefit more from claiming the children for this reason alone.

This is exactly the kind of situation where you need to run the numbers both ways! With your girlfriend at $230K, she's likely hitting some phase-out thresholds that could make it more beneficial for you to claim the twins. A few key things to consider: - Child Tax Credit phases out starting at $200K for single filers, so she might not get the full $4,000 credit for both twins - Your lower income might qualify for better credits and deductions - Since you mentioned rental property, claiming Head of Household could give you better tax brackets for all your income The tricky part is that if she's been claiming them on her W-4 all year, she's gotten bigger paychecks but will owe that back if she doesn't claim them on the return. You'll want to coordinate this so one of you doesn't get stuck with a surprise tax bill. I'd suggest using a tax calculator or software to model both scenarios - her claiming them vs you claiming them - and see which gives you the better combined outcome as a family unit. The difference could be substantial given your income levels and the various credits involved.