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Turbotax and other tax prep services are super shady with how they handle refund advances.š©š© They deliberately make it confusing. Your refund is going to their account first (that's the account # you're seeing), they'll take their cut for the advance + fees, then eventually send you what's left. It's basically a loan sharking operation lol. Might take 5-10 days to get the rest after SBTG shows funded.
This exact same thing happened to me last year! The SBTG account number that shows up is definitely NOT your personal account - it's their temporary holding account where your full refund lands first. Here's what's happening: 1. IRS sends your complete refund to that SBTG temp account 2. SBTG/TurboTax deducts the advance amount they already gave you 3. They also take out their processing fees (which honestly add up) 4. Whatever's left gets sent to the same payment method you got your advance on The whole process took about 6 business days for me after I saw the "funded" status. I was freaking out just like you because that account number made no sense to me either! But sure enough, the remaining balance showed up on my TurboTax card exactly when they said it would. Just be patient for another week or so. If nothing shows up by then, definitely contact TurboTax support, but this is totally normal for their refund advance process.
I've been through this nightmare before! Here's what finally worked for me: Try calling the IRS Practitioner Priority Service line at 866-860-4259 early in the morning (around 7 AM). Even though it's technically for tax professionals, they sometimes help taxpayers with urgent transcript issues. Also, if you have a local Taxpayer Advocate Service office, they can be a lifesaver for situations like this. They're independent within the IRS and specifically help when normal channels aren't working. Don't give up - transcript errors are more common than you think and they do get resolved eventually!
This is really helpful advice! I didn't know about the Practitioner Priority Service line - that's a great tip. The early morning calling strategy makes sense too since they're probably less busy then. Thanks for sharing what worked for you @Connor Richards, gives me hope that I can actually get this sorted out!
While I understand the frustration, there are legitimate reasons for these delays. The IRS is operating under significant constraints with outdated technology systems and staffing shortages. According to the National Taxpayer Advocate's 2023 Annual Report to Congress, the IRS had a backlog of over 3.2 million unprocessed amended returns at one point. The term "referral" in IRS parlance (specifically a Form 911 TAS referral) does have a tracking mechanism, but the 30-day timeline is aspirational rather than guaranteed. Your best option is to request a specific referral to the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) if you're experiencing financial hardship due to the delay.
I'm dealing with something similar - filed my amended return in March 2024 and it's been radio silence since then. The frustrating part is how the messaging keeps changing. First they say "16 weeks," then "no timeline," then you hear about these mysterious "referrals" that may or may not actually exist. What I've learned from this thread is that we're basically stuck in a broken system where outdated technology meets bureaucratic inefficiency. The suggestions about congressional representatives and the Taxpayer Advocate Service seem like the most legitimate routes if you're truly experiencing hardship. Has anyone here actually had success with TAS? I'm wondering if it's worth the effort or if it's just another layer of bureaucracy to navigate.
Your turbo tax may have actually known what it was doing when it prompted you to use those SLCSP amounts. Did they ask you specifically about your employment situation and whether you were offered coverage? I use HR Block and it asked me detailed questions about my job status changes and when I had access to employer coverage throughout the year. It then automatically adjusted my premium tax credit eligibility month by month.
TurboTax definitely asks about employer coverage availability but sometimes gets confused with mid-year changes. When I switched from full-time to contractor last year, it kept trying to make me ineligible for the entire year even though I lost my employer coverage in July.
TurboTax did ask about my employment situation and whether I was offered coverage, but I think I might have answered incorrectly. I answered that I wasn't eligible for employer coverage (thinking about the March timeframe when I couldn't enroll), but I didn't specify that I had originally declined it during open enrollment or that my status changed to part-time in May. I definitely need to be more precise with these questions when I file my amendment. From what everyone's saying, it sounds like I should only claim the premium tax credit for the months after I went part-time and truly lost access to employer coverage.
I went through something very similar when I changed from full-time to part-time status mid-year. The IRS does treat declining employer coverage during open enrollment as making you ineligible for premium tax credits, even if you can't enroll later when you need it. However, your part-time switch in May is the key here. When you became part-time and lost eligibility for employer coverage, that's a legitimate qualifying event that restores your eligibility for premium tax credits going forward. I'd recommend amending to claim credits only for May through December. Make sure to document the exact date your employer coverage eligibility ended due to the part-time change - this will be important if the IRS has any questions about your amendment. Also, double-check that your employer truly doesn't offer any coverage to part-time employees, as some companies have different rules or waiting periods. You'll want to be certain about this before filing the amendment.
Dylan Campbell
Just to clarify something that hasn't been mentioned yet - the 152 code on WMR isn't actually an official IRS transaction code like the ones on your transcript (570, 971, etc). It's just a message code for the WMR tool itself. Its disappearance usually indicates the system is preparing to show you a new status, but the WMR tool often lags behind what's actually happening with your return. This is why many people report their refund arriving without WMR ever updating to the third bar.
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Dylan Cooper
This is really helpful information, and I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences! As someone who's been through multiple tax seasons, I can confirm that the disappearing code 152 is actually pretty normal. What I've learned is that the IRS systems often update behind the scenes before the WMR tool reflects those changes. For anyone else dealing with this - here's what I'd recommend: 1. Check your transcript if you can access it online (it's way more reliable than WMR) 2. Don't panic if codes disappear - it usually means progress, not problems 3. The 21-day processing timeframe is just a guideline, especially for early filers 4. If you filed in late January, you're right in the normal processing window The good news is that most people reporting this issue end up getting their refunds within a week or two of the code disappearing. The system is definitely glitchy this year, but the underlying processing seems to be working. Hang in there - it sounds like you're on the right track!
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Ali Anderson
ā¢This is exactly what I needed to hear! I've been stressing about this for weeks and your breakdown makes so much sense. I think I've been overthinking the whole situation. The timing does seem to align with what everyone else is experiencing. I'm going to try to access my transcript tomorrow and see if I can get more detailed information there. Thanks for taking the time to explain this so clearly - it's really reassuring to know this is just part of the normal process, even if it feels anything but normal when you're going through it!
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