Hardship funds released by Tax Advocate, showing on SBTPG with 05/17/2025 date - when will I actually receive money?

Thanks for the info! Yes, I did have to provide proof of my medical bills and a letter from my doctor. Had to scan and email everything to the advocate. Took about 2 weeks after that for approval.

wait u had to give your tax advocate medical bills? did they try to verify them with your doctor? i've got a similar situation but im nervous about sharing personal medical info

They didnt call my doctor or anything, just needed the documentation to prove i had a legit hardship. They were actually really professional about it.

This is pretty standard for hardship claims. The IRS has to verify you have an actual hardship before fast-tracking anything. Medical issues are one of the most common reasons they'll approve.

how long did it take to get assigned a tax advocate? ive been waiting like 6 weeks and havent heard anything 😭

I called the Taxpayer Advocate Service directly and got assigned someone in about 10 days. Don't wait for them to contact you - be proactive!

Sounds interesting. How exactly does it work? Does it just read your transcript or does it do more?

It does wayyy more than just read it. It actually explains all the codes and dates, tells you what's happening behind the scenes, and gives you a clear timeline. I was shocked at how detailed it was - showed me exactly why my refund was delayed and when I could expect it. Honestly saved me hours of stress and confusion!

another random app promising to solve IRS problems? idk sounds sus 🤔

I get the skepticism, I really do. I was the same way. But this isn't some random app - it's basically an AI tool that decodes all the IRS gibberish into actual human language. Saved me from having to call the IRS like 5 times. Look into it before dismissing it, that's all I'm saying.

EVERYONE NEEDS TO TRY THIS TOOL!!! I spent months trying to figure out why my refund was delayed and this solved it in minutes. The IRS website is straight garbage and the phone lines are a joke. This taxr thing is literally the only thing that helped me understand what was happening with my money.

did it actually work? i've been trying to call the IRS for weeks and can never get through

100% worked. They basically hold your place in line and call you back when they have an agent on the line. Saved me literally hours of my life on hold. And the agent I got was actually super helpful once I explained my hardship situation.

Thank you for this tip! I have a second issue I need to resolve with them and dreading more phone calls. Definitely going to try this.

Whats the catch tho? Nothing is ever this easy with the IRS 🧐

No catch, it just does what it says - gets you connected to an IRS agent without the endless hold time. You still have to deal with the IRS policies and procedures once you're talking to them lol. But at least you're ACTUALLY talking to someone who can help.

just tried it and already have a callback scheduled!! after 3 weeks of trying to get through myself. this is a lifesaver thank you!!!

THIS!!!! 👏👏👏 They made me verify my identity twice and still held my money for a week. Next year I'm definitely not using a preparer that uses SBTPG.

there's literally a class action lawsuit against them rn for exactly this reason. they make millions in interest by holding everyone's refunds for "processing"

Not surprised at all. Wish I could just get my refund direct from the IRS but my tax preparer uses them and didn't give me a choice.

Thank you! And I'm sorry you're still waiting. Have you tried asking to speak to the advocate's manager? That's what I did when things weren't moving fast enough.

I didn't know that was an option! I'll definitely try that tomorrow. Mind sharing what you said to get escalated to a manager?

I just explained that I had a serious medical situation that couldn't wait any longer. I was polite but firm that I needed immediate assistance. The manager ended up prioritizing my case.

It took about 10 days to get assigned an advocate, but I called the Taxpayer Advocate Service directly and explained my medical situation. I think that helped speed things up.

thx for the info! gonna try calling them directly tomorrow.

fr tho 💯 my dad worked for the IRS for 30 years and he says they're still using the same computer systems from when he started in the 90s. absolute clown show 🤡

And yet they still expect us all to file perfectly while they can't even process returns correctly. Make it make sense.

I called the main TAS line (1-877-777-4778) and explained my medical hardship situation. They connected me with a local advocate who called me back the next day. Hope that helps!

Thank you!! I'm gonna try that tomorrow morning. Been so frustrated with this whole process.

Thanks for the tip! Hadn't even thought about that. I'll call my bank tomorrow morning.

I had to provide medical bills, a letter from my doctor explaining why treatment couldn't be delayed, and bank statements showing I couldn't cover the costs without my refund. Be super detailed in your explanation - that seemed to help speed things up.

Thank you! Really appreciate the specifics. I've got all my medical bills ready to go. Just need to get the doctor's letter.

Oh no, that sounds horrible! Just double checked my banking info and everything looks correct. Thanks for the warning!

No problem! Hope your deposit goes through without any issues. It was a nightmare getting mine straightened out after the return.

It was about 24 hours for me between the advocate saying it was released and it showing up on SBTPG. Have you checked your transcript? That updated for me first.

i keep trying to check my transcript but the irs website keeps giving me errors. gonna try again tomorrow. thanks for the info!

i keep seeing people mention this. what does it actually do? sounds too good to be true tbh

It basically translates all the IRS codes and jargon into plain english. Shows you exactly what's happening with your refund and gives timelines for when you'll get paid. Saved me so much headache trying to decode my transcript. And the predictions were spot on - told me exactly when my money would be released.