Congrats on the good news! FYI for everyone - those IRS emails are legit but they sometimes go to spam folders. Def check there if u haven't gotten one but WMR shows approved. The trace # in Netspend is just their way of showing an incoming ACH transfer - other banks might call it pending deposit or ACH memo. BTW the IRS started sending those emails more regularly in 2023 tax season, so it's not brand new but they've gotten better at consistent timing. The email usually comes 2-3 days b4 the deposit hits ur account.

Think of the IRS refund process like an airplane flight: your return is "boarded" (accepted), then "taxiing" (processing), then "in the air" (approved), and finally "landed" (deposited). That email is basically your "we're beginning our descent" announcement. One word of caution though - I've seen cases where people get the email but then have a last-minute hold placed on their refund. It's like when the plane circles the airport due to traffic. Rare, but it happens, especially with certain international tax situations where the IRS does an extra verification step. Just keep an eye on your transcript if you can access it, as that will show any last-minute changes.

I'm sort of wondering if you've checked whether your state tax payment method might be different from your federal one? Sometimes they default to different methods, especially if you've moved or changed banks recently. It might be worth checking if perhaps they're sending a paper check instead of direct deposit?

I got my federal refund on March 5th. State refund arrived March 29th. That's 24 days difference. Georgia here. Last year was similar timing. Budget accordingly. State systems just move slower.

Back in 2022, I was in this exact same situation and found that the Taxpayer Advocate Service was incredibly helpful. They have the ability to expedite cases where there's financial hardship. I submitted Form 911 (Request for Taxpayer Advocate Service Assistance) and had resolution within 3 weeks. They're specifically designed to help when normal IRS channels aren't working.

Based on the current IRS processing metrics, amended returns filed in January 2024 are being processed in exactly 16-20 weeks. For the Child Tax Credit specifically, there's a 14-day integration period after amendment approval, followed by a 7-day verification window. If your amendment was completed on April 23rd, you should see CTC portal updates by May 14th and payment by May 28th. The refund for tax overpayment typically processes in 9-21 days after amendment completion, so you're actually right in that window now. Check your account transcript daily for TC 846 code (refund issued).

Did you receive any kind of confirmation email from SBTPG with details? And have you checked if there might be any fees they deducted that could be causing a difference in the amount? Sometimes banks will reject deposits if the amount doesn't match exactly what was expected.

I waited from March 15th to March 23rd last year with the exact same situation. SBTPG said sent, nothing in my Chime. When I finally got through to the IRS, they told me SBTPG had returned the money because of a "name mismatch" - but nobody bothered to tell me! Had to wait another 6 weeks for a paper check. Don't wait as long as I did to start investigating - every day matters when it's your money.

Here's what you need to know about refund processing banks in 2024: • Republic Bank & Trust - Primarily processes refunds from H&R Block and some other preparers • MetaBank - Handles refunds from TurboTax and related Intuit products • Santa Barbara TPG - Processes for TaxSlayer, TaxAct, and several others • Civista Bank - Recently added for some smaller preparation services The bank that appears is determined by your preparation method, not by your selection. If you're tracking your refund, check the Where's My Refund tool daily, as it typically updates overnight. Direct deposits still process faster than paper checks, despite sometimes appearing to come from unfamiliar banks.

Think of these banks like the mail carriers of your tax refund. You don't choose FedEx vs UPS when you order something online - the seller does. Same with tax refunds - your preparer chooses the bank, not you. I spent THREE WEEKS last year freaking out because my refund showed "pending" from some bank I'd never heard of, then disappeared completely for 2 days before finally showing up in my actual account. Why can't they make this process more transparent? It's like they deliberately want to confuse us. But yes, for 2024, those same banks are still handling the refunds, unfortunately.