Has anyone received their check from SBTPG (Santa Barbara Tax Products Group) yet?

I work with tax preparation and can shed some light on what's happening with SBTPG (Santa Barbara Tax Products Group) this season. They've been experiencing significant delays in processing and mailing refund checks - far worse than they're admitting to customers. From what I've seen with multiple clients, SBTPG has been giving out send dates that are 10-14 days earlier than when checks are actually being mailed. The postmark dates are telling the real story. They appear to have had a major system issue in late February/early March that created a backlog. The good news is that most people are eventually getting their checks, just much later than promised. If you used informed delivery, keep checking it daily. Most people who were told their checks went out in late February or early March are just now seeing them arrive with mid-March postmarks.

After dealing with the same SBTPG nightmare, I found this tool called taxr.ai that really helped me track down what was happening with my refund check. I was getting different stories every time I called Santa Barbara Tax Products Group too - first they said my check was mailed Feb 28, then March 4, and I was going crazy checking my mail every day. I uploaded my tax transcript to https://taxr.ai and it analyzed everything and showed me exactly where my money was in the system. Turns out SBTPG hadn't even received the funds from the IRS when they were telling me they'd already mailed my check! The tool predicted I'd get my check by March 24th based on actual processing patterns, and sure enough, it showed up in my informed delivery yesterday with a March 16th postmark.

Just wanted to update that I tried the taxr.ai site mentioned above after nothing was working with SBTPG. I was getting so frustrated with them telling me my check was sent on March 2nd when nothing was showing up. The tool analyzed my transcript and showed that while the IRS released my refund on February 26th, SBTPG typically takes 4-5 business days to process it, then another 7-10 days for mail delivery right now (much longer than normal). It gave me an estimated delivery window of March 18-22. I was pretty shocked when my check actually showed up in informed delivery this morning! The envelope is postmarked March 15th, NOT March 2nd like SBTPG claimed. So they definitely weren't honest about when they actually mailed it. Anyway, just wanted to share that the tool worked for me when SBTPG's customer service was completely useless.

If you're still waiting and need to speak to an actual human at SBTPG, I highly recommend using Claimyr. I was in the same situation - SBTPG kept giving me different dates for when my check was supposedly mailed, but nothing was showing up. After wasting hours on hold with their regular customer service line and getting nowhere, I used https://claimyr.com to get through to a real person. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. They basically call for you and navigate all the phone menus, then call you when they have a live agent on the line. I finally got to speak with a supervisor who admitted they had a system issue and gave me the actual mail date (which was 10 days later than what I was originally told). At least I had real information instead of the runaround.

I take back what I said about Claimyr. After another week of no check and more lies from SBTPG's regular customer service line, I broke down and tried it. Got connected to a specialist at SBTPG who actually looked into my specific case rather than just reading a script. Turns out my check had been returned to them due to an address error (even though I confirmed my address was correct in their system). They never would have told me this through their normal customer service. The agent arranged to have a new check sent via expedited shipping and gave me a tracking number. Should have it tomorrow. Can't believe I wasted three weeks waiting for a check that wasn't even coming. If I hadn't used the service to get to a higher-level rep, I'd probably still be waiting and getting the same "it was mailed on March 1st" story.

I finally got my SBTPG check yesterday - postmarked March 17th even though they told me it went out March 2nd! Has anyone noticed that they don't even send these from Santa Barbara? Mine came from some processing center in Kansas City. Just seems sketchy that they can't even be straight about where they're sending from, let alone when.

Has anyone had SBTPG tell them they "can't verify your identity" when you call? They keep telling me they sent my check on Feb 27th, but nothing has arrived. When I called back to ask for a replacement, suddenly they "can't verify my identity" even though I gave them all the same info as before. Seems like they're just making excuses!

So apparently my check was mailed on 4/8 it is 4/23 and no delivery yet. The sad part is I've been waiting since March because the company that prepared my taxes kept lying and now I have these people lying to me as well. I'm currently homeless and I just want my refund so my children and I can get back on track. This has never happened in all my years of filing taxes. I pray that WE ALL GET OUR REFUND VERY SOON!! AMEN

I'm so sorry you're going through this, especially with children involved. The situation with SBTPG this tax season has been absolutely terrible - they've been systematically lying about mail dates to thousands of people. Since you said your check was supposedly mailed on 4/8 and it's now 4/23, I'd strongly recommend checking your informed delivery daily if you haven't already set it up with USPS. Based on what others have reported, SBTPG has been giving mail dates that are 7-10 days earlier than when checks actually get sent out. If nothing shows up in informed delivery by early next week, you might want to call and demand they put a stop payment on the first check and issue a replacement. Don't let them give you the runaround about "verifying your identity" - have your AGI from last year's return and this year's return ready when you call. I really hope your check shows up soon. No one should have to deal with this kind of stress, especially when you're already in a difficult situation. Sending positive thoughts your way that this gets resolved quickly! 🙏

I'm so sorry to hear about your situation, Catrice. Being homeless with children while waiting for a tax refund that should have arrived weeks ago is absolutely unacceptable. The fact that SBTPG has been lying to people about mail dates is infuriating - you deserve so much better than this. Based on what I've seen from others dealing with SBTPG this season, their "mailed on 4/8" claim is likely false, just like all the other dates they've been giving people. The actual mail dates have been running 1-2 weeks later than what they tell customers. Here's what I'd suggest: First, if you haven't already, set up free USPS Informed Delivery at usps.com so you can see scanned images of mail coming to your address. This will show you immediately if your check is actually coming. Second, since it's been over 2 weeks since they claimed to mail it, call SBTPG and demand to speak to a supervisor. Tell them about your housing situation and that you need an expedited replacement check sent via overnight delivery. Don't let them brush you off - this is an emergency situation. If they give you any runaround about "verifying identity," have your AGI from last year's return and this year's return ready. Also consider using a service like Claimyr to get through to higher-level agents who might actually help. I'm praying your check shows up in informed delivery very soon. No family should have to endure this because of SBTPG's incompetence. Please keep us updated - this community is rooting for you! 🙏❤️

I'm absolutely disgusted by what I'm reading about SBTPG's behavior this tax season. The fact that they're systematically lying to people about mail dates while families like Catrice's are facing homelessness is beyond unacceptable - it's cruel. I work in financial services and what SBTPG is doing appears to be intentional deception. When a company consistently gives mail dates that are 1-2 weeks earlier than actual postmarks across thousands of customers, that's not a "system glitch" - that's deliberate misinformation to avoid accountability. For anyone still waiting, here's what you need to know: SBTPG has been in breach of their service agreements with tax preparers who are supposed to provide "fast refunds." The delays this year are unprecedented and they're not being honest about the scope of the problem. If you're in an emergency situation like Catrice, don't just call - file complaints with your state's attorney general office and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Document every lie they tell you about mail dates. This company needs to face real consequences for what they're putting families through. To everyone sharing resources and support in this thread - thank you for looking out for each other when the system is failing us. That's what community is about.

This whole thread has been eye-opening and frankly infuriating. I'm a newcomer here but have been dealing with SBTPG delays myself - they told me my check was mailed March 15th and it's now been over a month with nothing. Reading about Catrice's situation with her children really breaks my heart. It's unconscionable that SBTPG continues to lie about mail dates while families are facing homelessness. This isn't just poor customer service - it's actively harmful to people in crisis situations. I want to echo what others have said about filing complaints with state attorney generals and the CFPB. I just submitted complaints to both after reading Sophia's post. Even if individual complaints don't immediately solve our personal situations, creating a paper trail of SBTPG's deceptive practices might prevent other families from going through this nightmare next tax season. For anyone still waiting, I also set up USPS informed delivery yesterday based on recommendations here. It's free and at least gives you real information instead of SBTPG's lies. To Catrice and anyone else in emergency situations - this community clearly cares about you and wants to help however we can. Please keep us updated and don't hesitate to ask if you need more resources or support. You shouldn't have to face this alone. 🙏

As a newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely appalled by what I'm reading about SBTPG's practices this tax season. The systematic lying about mail dates while people like Catrice are facing homelessness with children is beyond unacceptable - it's genuinely harmful. I've been lurking and researching SBTPG issues after my own delayed refund, but seeing the pattern of deception documented in this thread has motivated me to speak up. They told me my check was mailed April 5th, and like everyone else here, nothing has appeared in my informed delivery. What strikes me most is how this community has come together to share resources and support each other when SBTPG has failed so spectacularly. The recommendations for informed delivery, filing complaints with state AGs and the CFPB, and services like taxr.ai and Claimyr have been invaluable for someone new to dealing with this. I'm committed to documenting every false date SBTPG gives me and filing formal complaints. If enough of us create that paper trail of their deceptive practices, maybe we can prevent future families from enduring what people are going through now. To those in emergency situations - please know that even newcomers like me are advocating for accountability and hoping for quick resolutions to your crises. No family should face homelessness because a company lies about basic service delivery. This community's compassion gives me hope that we can push for real change.