I tracked my Tax South refund check using the TPG Taxpayer Portal (sbtpgrefund.com). This is the official website for Santa Barbara Tax Products Group that processes Tax South refunds. My timeline was: IRS approved February 9th, TPG received funds February 13th, check mailed February 15th, delivered February 18th. The check will arrive in a plain white envelope with an Austin, TX return address. The TPG portal will show exact status including when they've mailed your check with the exact amount after fees are deducted.

Think of Tax South's refund process like ordering from a restaurant through a delivery app instead of directly. Your food (refund) first goes to the delivery service (Tax South's bank), they take their cut (fees), then deliver what's left to you (check). Just like delivery can take longer than pickup, this process takes longer than direct deposit from the IRS. Most people see their checks arrive 10-14 days after IRS approval, but it can sometimes stretch to 21 days during peak tax season - like how food delivery takes longer during rush hour.

Last year I filed on March 14th and didn't receive my refund until April 29th. The IRS never notified me of any issues, but when I finally got through to them, they said my return had been selected for a random review. Nothing was wrong with it - just bad luck. This seems to happen more with returns filed during peak periods. The agent told me they have internal quotas for random reviews based on filing date ranges.

Are you checking your transcript or just Where's My Refund? The transcript will show cycle codes that indicate exactly where your return is in processing. Many people don't realize that WMR only updates at certain intervals, while the transcript updates more frequently and contains specific Processing Transaction Codes that explain what's happening. The difference between the two tracking methods is quite significant.

This means your return is in process. Not fully processed yet. System lag. Different databases update at different times. Acceptance just means they received it. Not that they processed it. Keep checking every few days.

The IRS began processing returns on January 29, 2024, and has been experiencing higher than normal volumes. Typically, transcript updates occur on Thursday nights/Friday mornings between 12am-6am EST. If you filed in February, you should see movement within the next cycle date. The "as of" date on your account transcript is often the most telling indicator of when your return will complete processing.

For those still waiting on DDD, check your transcript for TC 570/571 sequence. TC 570 indicates a temporary hold, while TC 571 shows the hold was released. If you see 570 without a subsequent 571, your return is still under review. Many February filers are experiencing TC 570 with a later TC 971 (Notice Issued). According to the Internal Revenue Manual section 21.5.6-4, this pattern typically resolves within 21 days of the 971 date code.

Has anyone tried comparing their "as of" date changes on their account transcript? It's like watching the weather forecast - sometimes it means a storm is coming, sometimes it means absolutely nothing. Anyone seeing their "as of" date jump forward and then actually get their refund shortly after?

I'm not sure two weeks is really enough time to be concerned. The IRS might say 21 days, but that's more of a guideline than a rule. Many returns with investment income get additional scrutiny. Have you considered that your capital gains might have triggered additional verification? Maybe your return is just in a queue waiting to be processed. The system isn't always transparent about these things.

I've seen this happen dozens of times with investment income. Last year, I had a client with significant capital gains whose return didn't show up on transcripts for nearly three weeks. Then it suddenly appeared with all processing steps completed at once. The IRS batches certain types of returns for efficiency. Your timeline isn't unusual at all. Have you checked your Return Transcript specifically? Sometimes that updates before the Account Transcript does.