Have you considered a 0% APR credit card as an alternative? Many offer 12-15 months interest-free, which would give you time to receive your actual refund without fees. The average processing time for e-filed returns with direct deposit is currently 21 days, though 78% of filers receive their refunds in 14 days or less according to recent IRS data. Would your school accept a credit card payment that you could then pay off when your refund arrives?

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the risks of refund delays if you go the RAL route. What happens if the IRS flags your return for review after you've taken out an advance? Are there additional fees if your actual refund is less than estimated? And what documentation do these loan companies typically require besides your W-2?

Have you tried: • Logging out completely and logging back in? • Checking with a different browser? • Confirming your TurboTax account email matches what you filed with? • Contacting SBTPG directly instead of just checking the portal? Sometimes these technical issues have simple solutions.

Same thing happened to me. DDD 2/26. Nothing on SBTPG. Called TurboTax. No help. Called SBTPG. On hold forever. Finally showed up March 1st. Got money March 2nd. System is broken this year. Just wait it out.

I had a similar situation but with student loans instead of state taxes. The WMR tool was completely useless compared to what happened with my credit card company - they at least send you an alert when they take money! After wasting hours on hold with the regular IRS number, I tried Claimyr (https://www.claimyr.com) and got through to an agent in about 15 minutes. They confirmed exactly how much was offset and how much I would still receive. Worth every penny compared to the days I spent trying to get answers last year.

Wouldn't it be nice if the IRS actually designed their systems to communicate with each other? Shouldn't a major government agency be able to update their refund tracker to show when money is being diverted elsewhere? Isn't it reasonable to expect transparency about where your tax refund is going? In my experience, you'll receive a notice (CP504) after the offset has already happened. The letter will explain which agency received your money and how much was taken. If you need this information sooner, your best bet is to request your tax account transcript, which will show the offset amount and date when it processes.

OMG been thru this w/ my mom's taxes too. The reg IRS # is useless IMO. Try the TAS (Taxpayer Advocate) at 877-777-4778. They helped w/ my mom's return that was stuck for 2+ mos. Turns out there was an ID verify issue but the letter got lost in the mail?! TAS got it fixed in ~3 wks. Also check if there's a local TAS office near you - sometimes in-person is better. Good luck!

Here's a step-by-step approach I'd recommend: 1. First, check her transcript online if possible (irs.gov → View Your Account → Tax Records) 2. Look for specific codes like 570, 971 that indicate processing issues 3. Call the main IRS number (800-829-1040) between 7:00-7:15am Eastern 4. Follow this path: 1 → 2 → 1 → 3 → 2 → enter SSN → 2 → 4 5. If unsuccessful after 2-3 attempts, try the Taxpayer Advocate at 877-777-4778 6. When speaking with a representative, ask specifically about "processing delays" and "verification holds" 7. Request they check if any notices were sent that may have been lost I was so relieved when this method finally got me answers about my father's delayed refund!

The Chapter 13 Trustee Program operates under Title 11 of the United States Code, while IRS refund processing occurs under Title 26. This jurisdictional separation creates a procedural gap that often results in refunds being issued directly to debtors even when they should ultimately go to the estate. The Form 13 Notice of Income Tax Refund (NOITR) is the document trustees file with the IRS to intercept refunds, but it must be processed before your refund reaches the disbursement phase. Based on your DDD of 3/14, it appears the NOITR wasn't filed in time for this tax cycle. I'm slightly worried you might face compliance issues if you don't properly handle the incoming funds according to your plan terms.

Think of your tax refund in Chapter 13 like mail that gets forwarded when you move - sometimes the forwarding request doesn't get processed before the mail is already on its way to your old address. Your bankruptcy trustee is supposed to file intercept notices with the IRS, but they don't always get them in before the IRS processes your return. In my district (Eastern District of Pennsylvania), about 70% of Chapter 13 filers receive their refunds directly and then have to forward them to the trustee rather than having them intercepted automatically. The most critical thing is to read your specific plan language - some plans have exemption amounts (first $1,200 is yours, remainder to trustee), some have percentage splits (50% to you, 50% to estate), and others require 100% turnover of all refunds.