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I might be able to offer some insight... My refund followed almost exactly your pattern, but I was a bit concerned when I noticed a one-day delay between when SBTPG received the funds and when they released them. I reached out to my tax preparer, and they explained that there's an additional verification step that happens at SBTPG that wasn't necessary in previous years. This is apparently due to some new anti-fraud measures.
I call this the "tax refund dance" - one step forward, two steps back, spin around, and pray your money appears! πΊπ° But seriously, your timeline is textbook for this season. I filed 1/18, accepted 1/19, SBTPG got it 2/19, and it hit my account 2/21. The SBTPG holding period is actually for verification of the refund against potential offsets - they're making sure the Treasury doesn't pull back the funds before releasing them to you. It's annoying but better than getting the money and then having it yanked back later!
According to TurboTax's support page (https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/), when you pay preparation fees upfront, SBTPG is not involved in your refund process. You might want to check your bank account - your refund may have already been deposited directly from the IRS. I'd also suggest checking the IRS Where's My Refund tool (https://www.irs.gov/refunds) as an alternative to SBTPG tracking. Just be careful about entering your information correctly.
For future reference, here's what happens with your refund in both scenarios: With fees taken from refund: 1. IRS sends your entire refund to SBTPG 2. SBTPG deducts TurboTax fees plus their own fee ($39-44) 3. SBTPG sends remaining amount to your bank 4. You can track this process on SBTPG website With fees paid upfront: 1. IRS sends your entire refund directly to your bank 2. No SBTPG involvement or account needed 3. You track via IRS Where's My Refund tool The second option typically gets you your money 1-3 days faster and saves you the SBTPG fee. That's why you can't log in - there's no account to access!
According to the IRS.gov website, you might want to consider setting up an account on ID.me to access your full transcript details. Sometimes the 570/971 code combination can indicate identity verification is needed. The missing bank information is a separate issue - they'll automatically send a paper check to your address on file. Just make sure that address is current in their system.
From what I've observed in this community, the average wait time after getting 570/971 codes is exactly 21 days before seeing a resolution. About 72% of people report receiving a letter explaining the hold within 7 days of the 971 code appearing. Interestingly, for the 8% of people who had missing bank info as their only issue, paper checks were mailed approximately 14 days after the hold was released. Have others experienced similar timelines?
When I got my refund offset notice, I couldn't make sense of which debts were taking what portions of my refund. I used https://taxr.ai to analyze my tax transcript and it broke down exactly which agency was taking what amount. It identified that part of my refund was going to a state tax debt I didn't even know I had! Might be worth checking your transcript with it to see what's happening before your refund gets processed.
Is that site legit? I'm always worried about putting my tax info into random websites.
One strategy some people use is to adjust their withholding so they don't get a big refund in the first place. If you claim more allowances on your W-4, you'll get more in each paycheck throughout the year instead of a lump sum refund that can be offset. Too late for this year obviously, but something to consider for 2025.
Carmen Ruiz
Isn't it interesting how every year the IRS seems to change something fundamental about the refund process without clearly communicating it? Why not just send a press release explaining the new timing procedures? The reality is that banks used to get advance notice of incoming refunds, allowing them to credit accounts early as a courtesy. Now the IRS appears to be sending those notices closer to the actual release date. No promissory notes involved - just a timing adjustment that affects when your bank knows the money is coming.
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Andre Lefebvre
OMG tysm for posting this! I've been freaking out bc my DDD was 3/15 but nothing hit my acct until exactly that day. Last yr it came 2 days early! Was driving me crazy checking my bank app every 5 mins lol. Def not promissory notes tho - just checked with my CPA friend and she confirmed IRS changed their ACH timing. Phew! At least now I know it's normal and not just me.
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