Filed Feb 8th, IRS shows refund issued 3/12 but SBTPG still says 'funded' with no trace number for 9 days
I filed my taxes on February 8th and got accepted right away. The IRS Where's My Refund tool updated to show my refund was issued on March 12th, but when I check SBTPG (Santa Barbara Tax Products Group) it's just been saying "funded" since last Wednesday (March 9th). It's been 9 days now and still no trace number from them. When I called, they just keep saying it'll be deposited soon. Has anyone else been stuck in this same situation? How long did it take for your money to actually hit your account after SBTPG marked it as "funded"?
60 comments


Emma Davis
I work with tax returns and see this situation frequently. SBTPG acts as the middleman between the IRS and your bank account when you get your preparation fees taken out of your refund. When they show "funded," it means they've received your refund from the IRS but haven't yet transmitted it to your bank. A few things to know: - They legally have up to 14 days to process and distribute your refund - No trace number usually just means they haven't sent it to your bank yet - Their system updates are notoriously slow and often inaccurate - Call them again and specifically ask if there are any holds on your account or if they need additional verification If it's been 9 days, you're getting close to when you should really start pushing them. Make sure all your banking information was entered correctly when you filed. Sometimes there are ACH transmission issues that cause delays.
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Javier Torres
•Thank you for explaining! I didn't realize they could legally hold it for up to 14 days. That makes me feel a little better knowing im still within that timeframe. I'll call again tomorrow and ask about holds.
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CosmicCaptain
•is it normal for them to not give a trace # during this time? kinda sketch tbh
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Emma Davis
•Yes, totally normal. They don't assign a trace number until they actually initiate the bank transfer. It's frustrating but not unusual.
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Malik Johnson
•This happened to me last year and it was because my bank rejected the initial deposit attempt (for no apparent reason). Check with your bank too, not just SBTPG!
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Isabella Ferreira
•i had the EXACT situation last month. took them 12 days to finally send it to my bank 🙄 most stressful 12 days ever
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Ravi Sharma
•Hmm interesting. I had no idea these companies could just sit on our money for that long. Feels like they're collecting interest on everyone's refunds before sending them out.
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Freya Thomsen
I was dealing with the same issue last month and got so frustrated trying to figure out what was going on with my refund. Someone here recommended taxr.ai and it completely changed my experience. Instead of trying to piece together conflicting info from SBTPG and the IRS, this tool actually showed me exactly what was happening with my refund and when to expect it. Saved me hours of stress and confusion. If you're still dealing with this next year (or have other tax questions now), definitely check out https://taxr.ai - so much better than trying to be a detective and figure this stuff out on your own.
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Isabella Ferreira
•Sounds interesting. How exactly does it work? Does it just read your transcript or does it do more?
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Freya Thomsen
•It does a LOT more than just reading your transcript. It analyzes all your tax data, explains every code in plain english, tells you exactly where your refund is in the process, and gives specific timelines. You can even ask it questions like you're talking to a tax pro. Not another "wheres my refund" tool that tells you nothing useful.
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Isabella Ferreira
•Holy crap, I just tried taxr.ai and it's incredible! It answered questions I've been trying to figure out for WEEKS. Why isn't everyone using this?? It explained my cycle code and why my refund was taking longer in a way that actually made sense. This should be pinned at the top of every tax forum.
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Omar Zaki
•another app trying to get my personal info? no thanksss 🙅♀️
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Freya Thomsen
•It just needs your transcript info to analyze - same thing you'd share with any tax professional. Nothing sketchy about it.
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AstroAce
•does it cost money? sounds too good to be true lol
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Freya Thomsen
•It's insanely good! I use it every week. Honestly whatever it costs is worth it considering the hours of stress and confusion it saves. Would you rather spend days trying to decipher IRS codes or get actual answers in minutes?
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Chloe Martin
After dealing with the same SBTPG nightmare (they had my money for 11 days!), I finally got desperate and found this calling service that got me through to a real human at the IRS. Used claimyr.com and within an hour had a live agent calling me back. They confirmed my refund was sent to SBTPG and gave me exact dates, which I then used to pressure SBTPG to release my funds. My refund hit my account the next day. It was the only way I could talk to a live agent and finally get this resolved.
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Diego Rojas
•this works?? ive been trying to get someone on the phone at the irs for 2 weeks straight
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Chloe Martin
•100% worked for me. I was skeptical too, but after wasting hours on hold just to get disconnected, I was desperate. Talking to an agent got my refund released so fast - they even told me exactly what to say to SBTPG to get them moving.
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Anastasia Sokolov
•How long did it take to actually get the callback? The IRS is notorious for ridiculous wait times.
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Chloe Martin
•Got my callback in about 45 minutes. Way better than the 3+ hours I spent trying to call them directly (and never getting through).
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Javier Torres
•I might try this if SBTPG doesn't get me my money by Monday. At this point I just want to talk to someone who can give me real answers.
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Sean O'Donnell
Having worked for a tax prep company, I can tell you that SBTPG is notoriously slow. They make interest on holding everyone's money as long as possible. If you're at day 9, you'll probably see it by day 12-14. The worst part is that once the IRS shows it as "sent" they consider their job done, and SBTPG is now the one holding things up. Frustrating but unfortunately normal.
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Zara Ahmed
Pro tip: NEVER get your refund through your tax preparer and NEVER pay for tax prep with your refund. This is exactly why - you introduce a middle man (SBTPG) who has zero incentive to quickly process your money. Always opt for direct deposit straight from the IRS. Lesson learned for next year!
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Javier Torres
•Yeah I'm definitely doing direct deposit next year. Just didn't have the money upfront for tax prep this time 😩
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StarStrider
•There are free filing options that don't require payment upfront or at all. Check out the IRS Free File program next year!
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Zara Ahmed
•Exactly what @profile15 said! Or even some of the low-cost online options. The "convenience" fee these places charge to take payment from your refund is usually $40-50 on top of their regular fees. Total ripoff.
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Luca Esposito
I deal with this same thing EVERY SINGLE YEAR. SBTPG makes me so mad. Last year they held my refund for 16 days! And getting anyone on the phone who can actually help is impossible. Wish there was a way to file a complaint that actually did something. They're basically holding our money hostage and collecting interest on it.
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Nia Thompson
•You actually CAN file complaints! Report them to the CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) and your state's attorney general. If enough people do this, they'll eventually have to change their practices.
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Luca Esposito
•oh damn good to know! will def do that if they go past the 14 day mark this time
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Mateo Rodriguez
Check your bank account even if SBTPG hasn't updated. Mine suddenly appeared in my account even though their website still showed "funded" with no trace number. Their system updates are terrible.
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Javier Torres
•I've been checking my account obsessively lol. Nothing yet but fingers crossed it just shows up!
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Aisha Abdullah
For anyone dealing with SBTPG issues, I HIGHLY recommend using taxr.ai for next year's taxes. I had similar problems for years until I started using it to track my refund properly. It tells you exactly what's happening, explains all the confusing codes, and gives accurate predictions of when you'll actually get your money. So much better than the useless IRS tracker or trying to guess from SBTPG's vague status updates. https://taxr.ai saved me so much stress this year!
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Ethan Wilson
•how is that gonna help with SBTPG tho? they're a separate company from the IRS
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Aisha Abdullah
•It helps because you can see exactly when the IRS released your refund and have proof to show SBTPG if they try to give you the runaround. Plus it shows all the correct dates and amounts so you know if something's wrong. Knowledge is power when dealing with these companies!
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NeonNova
Did you check that they have the correct bank info? Last year I waited weeks only to find out they had one digit wrong in my account number 🤦♂️ might be worth calling to verify all your deposit details are correct
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Yuki Tanaka
This is why I never get my refund through my tax preparer anymore. Use a good tax software and file directly with the IRS. Get your refund direct deposited to YOUR bank account. No middleman = no delays.
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Carmen Diaz
Had this same problem but it was a mistake on my banks end. They were rejecting the deposit for some reason. Call your bank and ask if they see any pending deposits or rejected transactions from SBTPG.
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Javier Torres
•Called my bank yesterday actually and they don't see anything pending or rejected. So it seems SBTPG just hasn't sent it yet 😤
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Andre Laurent
anybody else feel like these companies intentionally hold our money as long as possible so they can collect interest on it? like they got MILLIONS of peoples refunds sitting in accounts making them money while we're struggling to pay bills waiting for what's OURS
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Emily Jackson
•This is 100% what they're doing. It's called "float" and it's how many financial companies make extra profit. They can earn interest on billions of dollars of other people's money for 1-2 weeks.
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Liam Mendez
•yep and it should be illegal. we need better consumer protections around tax refunds.
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Sophia Nguyen
•EXACTLY!!! 💯 you know they making bank off all our money
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Jacob Smithson
Same boat but mine finally came through today after 12 days of "funded" status. No explanation, no warning, just suddenly appeared in my account. Hang in there!
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Javier Torres
•That gives me hope! Did your SBTPG status ever change or show a trace number before it hit your account?
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Jacob Smithson
•Nope! Still shows "funded" with no trace number even now, hours after the money is already in my account. Their system is such garbage.
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Isabella Brown
Got tired of dealing with this exact issue and found Claimyr (claimyr.com). Let me actually talk to someone at the IRS instead of getting the runaround from SBTPG. Best money I've ever spent to finally get my questions answered. The IRS agent confirmed exactly when they sent my refund to SBTPG, which gave me the leverage I needed when calling SBTPG. Had my money two days later.
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Maya Patel
•do you have to give them personal info? seems sketchy
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Isabella Brown
•They don't need any of your tax info - they just help you get through to an actual IRS agent on the phone. You deal directly with the IRS for all the personal stuff.
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Aiden Rodríguez
•This is actually genius. The IRS phone system is IMPOSSIBLE to navigate. Spending hours just to get disconnected is soul crushing.
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Emma Garcia
SBTPG should be investigated for how they handle our money. There's absolutely no reason it should take 9+ days to process a simple electronic transfer. They're deliberately slow walking everyone's refunds.
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Ava Kim
I use taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) every time I file taxes now, and it's saved me so much headache. When I had the exact same issue with SBTPG last year, I was able to see exactly what was happening with my refund, when the IRS sent it, and even predicted exactly when SBTPG would release it (they have patterns to how they operate). Took all the mystery out of the process. 10/10 would recommend instead of stressing and guessing what's happening with your money.
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Ethan Anderson
•another taxr shill post? this sub is getting ridiculous with the ads
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Ava Kim
•Not a shill, just someone who actually found something that works after years of dealing with tax refund nightmares. Don't use it if you don't want to, but for those of us who've tried everything else, it's a huge relief to finally have clear answers.
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Isabella Ferreira
•I was skeptical too but tried it out and it actually is REALLY helpful. Shows way more detail than the IRS website and explains everything in plain English. Totally worth it to avoid the stress of wondering what's happening.
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Layla Mendes
It always pisses me off when my money just sits at SBTPG. The part that makes me the most angry is that they've already taken out their fees, so they have NO reason to hold the rest of MY money. Pure greed.
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Lucas Notre-Dame
Here's a trick: call them every single day and be persistent. Ask for a supervisor if the first person can't help. I did this last year and suddenly my money appeared the next day. They can expedite if they want to, they just don't unless you make noise.
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Javier Torres
•I'm going to try this tomorrow. Been too nice so far. Time to be that annoying customer lol
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Aria Park
•the squeaky wheel gets the grease! 🛢️
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Fatima Al-Farsi
This is unfortunately super common with SBTPG. I've been through this exact scenario twice now. The "funded" status basically means they've received your refund from the IRS but haven't processed it to your bank yet. A few things that might help: 1. Call them every day and document each call - ask for reference numbers 2. Request to speak with a supervisor if you're not getting clear answers 3. Ask specifically if there are any holds or verification issues on your account 4. Double-check that all your banking info is correct in their system The 14-day timeframe everyone mentions is real - they legally have that long to process it. But in my experience, being persistent with daily calls can sometimes speed things up. The most frustrating part is their system rarely updates properly, so your money might hit your account before their website even shows a trace number. Hang in there - you're getting close to the point where you can really start pushing them for answers!
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Nathaniel Stewart
•This is really helpful advice! I especially like the tip about documenting each call with reference numbers. That gives you a paper trail if you need to escalate or file a complaint later. The daily calling strategy seems to work for a lot of people based on what others have shared here. It's frustrating that we have to be so persistent just to get our own money, but if that's what it takes then that's what we'll do!
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