Unlike direct deposits from the IRS which typically post immediately, SBTPG transfers often take 1-3 business days AFTER they receive the funds from the IRS. I've seen situations where people had trace numbers for almost a week before seeing their money. Compare this to getting direct deposit straight from the IRS which is usually same-day or next-day at the latest. This is why I always recommend against using refund transfers or having fees taken out of your refund - it adds unnecessary delays to getting YOUR money.

SBTPG processes approximately 350,000 refunds daily during peak season. Their standard processing time is exactly 48 hours from receipt of IRS funds to disbursement to your bank account. The trace number indicates they've received the funds from the IRS, but they still need to process the payment. With your DDD of 2/26, and today being 2/26, you're likely looking at having funds in your account by 2/28 at the latest. Their fee structure typically includes a $39.95 processing fee plus any tax preparation fees that were designated to be paid from your refund.

Have you contacted your tax preparer about this? I'm wondering if they could provide you with the exact amount that was submitted to the IRS on your behalf. Did they perhaps take out their fee from the refund, making the amount they told you different from what's actually on your tax documents?

Just to clarify what everyone is saying - the amount you need for WMR is from line 35a on Form 1040 of your tax return. I filed on February 3rd and made this exact mistake. The amount my preparer told me included their fee already deducted. When I finally checked my actual return on February 15th and used the correct amount, WMR worked immediately and showed my refund was already approved and scheduled for deposit on February 20th. I had been unnecessarily worried for almost two weeks!

I filed on January 24, 2024 and was accepted immediately. My transcript showed processing date of February 19, 2024, but I've had zero movement since then. After waiting exactly 45 days, I decided to call the IRS on March 9, 2024. Spent 3 hours on hold before getting disconnected. Tried again on March 10, 2024 - same result. Finally used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) on March 11, 2024 and got through to an agent in 22 minutes. They confirmed my return was in the processing queue with no flags but couldn't give me a timeline. At least I know it's not lost in the system now.

Try checking your account transcript. Not just return transcript. Mine showed different info. Return transcript showed nothing. Account transcript had codes. Filed 1/22. Got my deposit yesterday. No warning. No updates on WMR. Just appeared.

Thanks everyone! I'm gonna check my transcript first and if I don't see anything I'll try calling. It's been almost 30 days now so I'm getting antsy 😬

One thing to check - did you get a confirmation email from TurboTax that the IRS accepted your return? Sometimes people think they filed but there was an error in submission.

According to IRS Publication 1544 and the Internal Revenue Manual section 21.4.1, the IRS processing systems operate on multiple cycles that are not publicly documented in detail for security reasons. However, their systems typically complete major processing batches at the end of their work week, which explains the Thursday night/Friday morning update pattern many observe. The official position is that taxpayers should allow 21 days before inquiring about the status of a return, though this timeframe is often extended during peak filing periods.

I tracked my transcript updates obsessively last year and noticed these patterns: • Main weekly updates: Thursday night/Friday morning (around 3-6am Eastern) • Secondary updates: Sometimes Tuesday morning for certain accounts • Account transcript updates first, then return transcript • WMR tool often lags 1-2 days behind transcript changes • The "N/A" for current year transcripts is totally normal early in processing Wow, I never realized how complex the IRS systems were until I went through this! My transcript went from nothing to fully processed in a single update.

Let me tell you a little cautionary tale... My "friend" 😉 waited patiently for the money to come back to the preparer, but after 6 weeks, decided to call the IRS directly. Turns out the preparer had received the funds THREE WEEKS EARLIER and hadn't bothered to notify anyone! Not saying your preparer would do this, but if May 1st is your hard deadline for that apartment deposit, I'd start calling your preparer every 48 hours starting... yesterday! Don't wait for them to contact you!

Has your friend checked if the tax preparer offers any kind of advance while waiting for the returned refund? Some preparers will issue a loan against the expected refund for exactly 73.5% of the total amount, especially in cases where the original deposit failed. The remaining 26.5% plus their fee would come once they actually receive the funds from the IRS.

If you're really concerned about this (which you shouldn't be), you could always print out your SSA earnings record and keep it with your tax documents. This is like keeping both the receipt and the credit card statement when you make a purchase - a bit excessive but gives peace of mind. I've been filing taxes for 20+ years and have seen much larger discrepancies that never caused problems. Compare this to a bank reconciliation where pennies can be off - accountants have a materiality threshold, and $1 is well below what anyone would consider material.

Don't get too comfortable with discrepancies. While $1 won't trigger anything, I've seen people ignore small issues that were symptoms of bigger problems. My cousin ignored a $5 difference last year, turned out his employer had been reporting his income under two slightly different SSNs for years. Check your Social Security statement annually. The small difference is fine, but make it a habit to verify your earnings record regularly - especially since you're managing your mom's finances too. Small errors compound over time if not caught early.

I had to call the IRS urgently last week for a similar situation. According to Internal Revenue Manual 13.1.7.2.3, taxpayers with medical hardships qualify for expedited assistance. I needed to submit Form 911 (Taxpayer Advocate request) after documenting my medical necessity. Don't wait - call first thing tomorrow morning at 7:00am exactly when they open! Every minute counts when dealing with their phone system.

Just to clarify - are you trying to check on a refund that was already approved but hasn't arrived, or are you trying to find out why your return is still being processed? Those might require different approaches. Have you already checked the "Where's My Refund" tool on the IRS website or the IRS2Go app? Sometimes those have more updated information than what phone representatives can access.

Had same issue last month. Tried ID.me app. Failed repeatedly. Called TPP line at 7am exactly. Got through in 25 minutes. They verified identity by phone. Refund arrived 9 days later. Don't waste time with app. Call early morning. Be persistent. Have all tax docs ready. They'll ask specific questions. Good luck.

I'd be cautious about how you proceed. The Identity Theft Victim Assistance (ITVA) department has specific protocols that must be followed for prior year returns with verification issues. In my research, approximately 27% of taxpayers attempting to resolve ID.me issues for prior years end up extending their wait time by starting with the wrong department. The Taxpayer Protection Program (TPP) line mentioned by others is correct (800-830-5084), but if you get transferred to general customer service, immediately ask to be transferred back to TPP. Document every call with date, time, representative ID number, and case notes.

OMG I'm so angry about how these tax prep companies handle refunds! 😤 I discovered that Jackson Hewitt and other preparers actually receive your entire refund first, deduct their fees, then forward the remainder to you. This creates a HUGE delay! My refund was approved on March 15th but didn't hit my account until March 23rd because it sat at Republic Bank for processing. The worst part was watching other people who filed direct with the IRS get their money while mine was stuck in this intermediary bank!

Just to clarify what others have said - Jackson Hewitt currently uses Republic Bank & Trust Company for their refund transfers, not MetaBank/Pathward as they did in previous years. The change happened in 2022. When comparing to other tax preparers, H&R Block uses Axos Bank and TurboTax uses Green Dot Bank for their refund transfers. Each bank has different processing timelines, with Republic typically taking 1-3 business days after receiving the funds from the Treasury.