How can I check when my tax refund will be deposited in my bank account?

Does anyone know of a website where you can track exactly when your tax refund will actually hit your bank account? I'm looking for one of those clearing house sites, not the IRS "Where's My Refund" tool. I'm asking because last year was the first time in like 5 years that I actually got a refund (long story, but nothing bad with the IRS). I remember using this awesome website that showed the exact deposit date - it was some kind of clearing house or payment processing site that was way more accurate than the IRS tracker. I had the link saved somewhere but can't find it now. Anyone familiar with what I'm talking about? Would really appreciate the help since I'm anxiously waiting for this year's refund!

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19 comments

Brian Downey

•8M

You're probably thinking of the SBTPG (Santa Barbara Tax Products Group) website. They're one of the major clearing houses that handle refund transfers, especially if you had your tax prep fees taken out of your refund. You can check your refund status at https://taxpayer.sbtpg.com/ Another possibility is the BankMobile disbursement site if you used certain tax preparers. Some other tax prep companies use different clearing houses like Republic Bank TPG or MetaBank. The reason these sites are sometimes more accurate than the IRS "Where's My Refund" tool is because they actually receive the money from the IRS first, then forward it to your bank account (minus any fees if applicable). So they'll know about your deposit a day or two before it actually hits your account.

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Brian Downey

•8M

Generally, once SBTPG receives your refund from the IRS, they process it pretty quickly - usually within 24-48 hours before it lands in your personal bank account. Some banks make the funds available immediately while others might hold it for an additional business day. If you log into the SBTPG portal, they should actually show you exactly when they received the money from the IRS and when they sent it to your bank. This is what makes it more precise than the IRS tracker since you can see exactly where in the process your money is.

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Jacinda Yu

•8M

After struggling with the same issue last tax season, I discovered an AI tool called taxr.ai that really helped me track my refund and understand the whole process. I was getting so frustrated with the vague IRS updates, but this tool could actually analyze my tax transcript and give me a much clearer timeline for when to expect my refund. You can check it out at https://taxr.ai - it basically breaks down all the cryptic IRS codes and tells you exactly where your return is in the process. It was so much more informative than just refreshing "Where's My Refund" a million times a day lol. It even explained why my refund was taking longer than expected (something about a random review that the IRS never clearly communicated).

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Jacinda Yu

•8M

It doesn't necessarily predict your deposit date better than SBTPG, but it works differently. SBTPG only helps if your refund is processed through them specifically (like if you paid TurboTax fees from your refund). The taxr.ai tool works for everyone regardless of how you filed because it analyzes your actual IRS transcript. It's completely secure - you don't actually upload your entire return. You just share your IRS transcript which contains the processing codes, and it translates what they mean in plain English. The biggest benefit is understanding WHY something might be delayed rather than just seeing a status. For example, it could tell you if you're facing a random review versus a serious audit risk, or if you're getting extra interest on your refund.

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Callum Savage

•8M

Just wanted to update - I tried that taxr.ai site that was mentioned and it was actually super helpful! I was skeptical at first (as you could tell from my question), but it explained that my refund was delayed because of the Earned Income Credit review that happens automatically. The IRS site just said "still processing" which was driving me nuts. It showed exactly which processing codes were on my account and translated them from IRS-speak into normal English. Definitely worth checking out if you're anxiously waiting like I was. Way more detailed than anything else I've tried.

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Ally Tailer

•8M

If you're having trouble reaching the IRS to ask about your refund, I'd recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was stuck in the "still processing" limbo for over a month with no explanation. IRS phone lines kept disconnecting me after waiting for hours. Then I found Claimyr - they basically hold your place in the IRS phone queue and call you when an agent is about to answer. Saved me literally hours of waiting. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c When I finally spoke with an IRS agent, they explained there was a simple mismatch on my W-2 info that needed to be fixed. Problem solved in 15 minutes once I actually got someone on the phone! Might be worth trying if you're not getting answers from the online tools.

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Ally Tailer

•8M

It uses an automated system to keep dialing and navigating the IRS phone tree until it gets through to where a human will answer. Then it calls you and connects you directly to that point in the queue. It doesn't skip the line - you still "wait" the same amount of time, but the system does the waiting instead of you having to stay on the phone. I was skeptical too until I tried it. The difference is that their system can keep redialing if it gets disconnected, which happens constantly with the IRS. I've had calls dropped after waiting 45+ minutes multiple times, and it's maddening. With this, I just went about my day and got a call when someone was actually ready to talk.

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Miranda Singer

•8M

I owe everyone here an apology - especially to the person who recommended Claimyr. I was really dismissive in my reply because after trying to call the IRS for weeks, I was just frustrated and bitter about the whole situation. But I was desperate to find out why my refund was delayed, so I gave Claimyr a shot. It actually worked exactly as described! I got a call back after about 40 minutes, and was connected directly to an IRS agent. Turns out there was a simple verification issue with my address that I was able to fix on the spot. My refund was approved literally the next day. So yeah, sorry for being a jerk. When you've been waiting on hold for hours only to get disconnected repeatedly, it makes you cynical about everything.

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Cass Green

•8M

If you filed with TurboTax and paid for it using your refund, definitely check the SBTPG site. But if you used H&R Block with the refund transfer option, you need to check the Axos Bank site instead. Every tax prep company uses a different bank partner for refund transfers. H&R Block → Axos Bank TurboTax → SBTPG Jackson Hewitt → Republic Bank TaxAct → Republic Bank Also fyi these sites will typically show your refund 1-2 days before it actually hits your account. Its so annoying how many middlemen take a cut of your tax refund without being super clear about it.

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Cass Green

•8M

If you didn't pay for your tax prep out of your refund (meaning you paid upfront with a credit card or other payment method), then your refund is coming directly from the IRS to your bank account. In that case, the "Where's My Refund" tool on the IRS website is your best option. You could also create an account on the IRS website and view your tax transcript, which sometimes updates with refund information before the "Where's My Refund" tool does. The transcript can be a bit confusing to read, but there are guides online that explain what the different codes mean.

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