There's another important factor to consider: SBTPG's batch processing schedule. They typically transmit funds to banks in specific windows (10am, 2pm, and 6pm Eastern Time are common processing times). If your trace number appeared after today's final batch, it will go in tomorrow's first batch. Also, be aware that SBTPG's system sometimes shows the trace number before they've fully processed your refund - the status should change to "Funded" when it's actually been sent to Chime. This can affect ACH transfer timing significantly.

I'm in a similar situation right now! Got my SBTPG trace number yesterday evening and have been refreshing my Chime account every hour since then. Based on what everyone's saying here, it sounds like I should see the deposit by tomorrow morning at the latest. This is my first time using TurboTax with the refund processing fee option, so I wasn't sure what to expect with the timing. Really helpful to see all these real experiences with the SBTPG → Chime timeline. Fingers crossed we both wake up to good news tomorrow!

For those who have been through this before: Does having the trace number guarantee the money will arrive on the DDD? Here's what I understand so far: Step 1: IRS approves refund (shown on transcript) Step 2: IRS sends money to SBTPG (the "funded" status) Step 3: SBTPG issues trace number Step 4: Money arrives at Chime Is there anything else that could delay it at this point?

Thanks for sharing your timeline - this is really helpful for those of us waiting! I'm in a similar situation with a cycle 05 transcript that updated Friday, but I haven't gotten my trace number yet. SBTPG shows "funded" as of yesterday evening. Quick question: did you have to keep refreshing the SBTPG portal to see the trace number, or did they send you any kind of notification? I'm trying to figure out if I should be checking constantly or if there's a better way to monitor the progress. Also hoping my funds come through soon since I have some urgent expenses coming up too.

One thing nobody has mentioned yet - look into whether you qualify for the Child and Dependent Care Credit if you're taking classes. If you're going to school to be able to work, and your boyfriend is paying for childcare so you can attend classes, he might be eligible for this additional credit when he claims your son.

I was in a very similar situation last year! My partner and I aren't married, I stayed home with our 18-month-old while taking online courses, and he was the sole income earner. Here's what we learned after consulting with a tax professional: Your boyfriend should definitely claim your son as a dependent - this will unlock the Child Tax Credit ($2,000) and potentially the Earned Income Credit depending on his income level. Since you have no income, these credits would be wasted if you filed. For Head of Household status, your boyfriend needs to provide more than half the cost of maintaining the household AND have a qualifying person (your son) living with him for more than half the year. If both conditions are met, HOH gives him a much better standard deduction than filing single. Regarding claiming you as a dependent - this could work in your favor! If your boyfriend provides more than half your support and you made less than $4,400 (which you did with $0 income), he can claim you too. This increases his standard deduction even more. Don't forget about education credits! If he's paying for your school expenses and claims you as a dependent, he might qualify for the American Opportunity Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit, which could be worth up to $2,500. The key is to make sure only one person claims each dependent and that all the IRS tests are met. Document everything - who pays what bills, childcare costs, education expenses, etc. - in case you ever need to prove the dependency claims.

I'm currently dealing with a very similar situation - $48k in tax debt from before marriage, and my spouse earns significantly more than I do. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful, especially seeing actual success stories. One thing I'm still confused about is the timeline. For those who got approved, how long did the entire OIC process take from submission to final approval? I know the IRS says it can take 6-24 months, but I'm wondering about real-world experiences. Also, during the review process, did anyone have to provide additional documentation beyond what was initially submitted? I want to make sure I include everything upfront to avoid delays. The proportional expense allocation approach that several people mentioned makes complete sense, and I'm planning to use that method. It's reassuring to hear from people who actually got through this process successfully rather than just reading conflicting information online.

This thread has been incredibly helpful - I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation with about $52k in pre-marital tax debt and a spouse who earns substantially more than me. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is whether anyone has experience with what happens if you're in a community property state. I live in California, and I'm wondering if that affects how the IRS views household income and assets for OIC purposes, especially for pre-marital debt. Also, for those who successfully got OICs approved using the proportional expense method - did you use any specific language or templates for the explanation letter? I want to make sure I'm articulating the situation clearly to avoid any misunderstandings. The success stories here are really encouraging. It sounds like the key is proper documentation and clearly explaining that the debt predates the marriage, along with showing your actual proportional contribution to household expenses rather than just splitting everything 50/50.

Update for anyone in the same boat: my refund JUST hit my account about 5 minutes ago! Chime Bank, DDD 2/27, rejected last Thursday when they tried early deposit. So it's definitely coming through today!!

Congrats Dylan! So glad you finally got your refund! This whole thread has been super helpful - I'm dealing with the same situation (Chime, 2/27 DDD, early deposit rejection last week) and was getting really anxious. Still waiting on mine but seeing all these success stories today is giving me hope that it's just a matter of time. The IRS really needs to get their act together with these banking partnerships though - this early deposit rejection thing seems to be happening way too often this year!