First Time Using Drake Tax - Serve Card Refund Timing Question

According to IRS Publication 1345 (Tax Professional Guidelines), the preparer fees should be clearly disclosed in your service agreement. Did your tax preparer specify which refund would have the fees deducted? The standard practice is to take fees from the first available refund.

I waited 4 DAYS after my DDD for my money to hit my Serve card last year! And then they charged me $4.95 to withdraw at an ATM? What's even the point of using their card if we're just losing more money? Doesn't anyone else think this whole system is designed to take advantage of people who need their refunds quickly?

In my experience with Serve cards specifically, the average wait time is 2.3 days after the DDD. For a 3/15 DDD, you're likely to see it appear on your card between 3/15-3/18. If you received your DDD today, there's a 78% chance you'll see your refund by Monday at the latest, assuming no processing delays.

Did they give you any paperwork explaining the fees? I'm wondering if there's a breakdown somewhere that shows exactly when they take the money out? I had the same issue last year and was so confused until I found the fine print.

What's your SBBT (Santa Barbara Tax Products Group) reference number? This is usually provided on your receipt and can be used to track the status of your refund through their system before it hits your Serve card.

Really appreciate this detailed explanation! The distinction between federal and state fee deductions has been confusing me too.

I would caution against making assumptions about which refund the fees come from. Each tax preparation service structures their fee arrangements differently, and without seeing the actual contract, it's difficult to provide definitive guidance.

These services just want more money. IRS is free if you're patient. Why pay more fees on top of prep fees?

While I understand the skepticism, there might actually be some value in a service that connects you directly to an IRS representative, particularly during this busy tax season when hold times can exceed several hours. The peace of mind from getting official information could potentially be worth it for some individuals.

I've tried both waiting on the IRS line myself (4.5 hours last time) and using Claimyr (got through in 22 minutes). When you're anxious about your refund timing, especially with bills due, the time saved can be worth it compared to using vacation days just to sit on hold.

Did you have any issues with the Serve card after receiving your refund? I've heard they sometimes freeze accounts for "verification" which delays access to funds.

OMG thx for sharing this! Did u get any email or txt when ur $ hit the card? Wondering if I need to keep checking the app or if they'll notify me?

WOW! I had NO IDEA the different tax services handled this differently! That explains so much about why my experience this year is nothing like last year! Why don't they explain this clearly when you sign up??

Good point. State offsets are common. OP should check state website. Could explain the delay.

It might also be worth noting that some states are experiencing somewhat longer processing times this year, particularly for returns filed in February. The state processing systems are generally not quite as efficient as the federal systems.

I'm wondering this too! My state refund was delayed because: • I had an old parking ticket I forgot about • They took the $75 plus a $15 processing fee • Never got any notification until I called • Had to wait 3 extra weeks for the remainder

Drake told me different info. Said fees can come from either refund. Depends on which processes first. Check your contract.

It's possible that different Drake offices might have somewhat different policies, especially if they're franchised locations. The main company guidelines could be implemented slightly differently by individual preparers.

This is really helpful info! Thank you for sharing what they told you directly. • Makes me feel better about my state delay • Good to know about the fee structure • 24-48 hours seems reasonable for the card deposit

My experience was similar to what they told you. Fees came from federal only, and my state refund arrived completely separate with no deductions. Drake seems more consistent with this approach than H&R Block, which took fees from my state refund last year since it arrived first.