Problems with Santa Barbara Tax Products Group (SBTPG) after filing through TurboTax

Oh thank you so much for explaining! I must have totally missed that processing fee in the fine print. So basically I paid an extra $39 for the "convenience" of not having to pay TurboTax upfront? That's pretty steep... do they make this clear during the filing process? I feel like I would have just paid with my credit card if I'd known there was such a big fee.

They do mention it during the filing process, but it's definitely not highlighted prominently. It's usually buried in the terms and conditions or fee disclosure that most people click through without reading carefully. The $39 is essentially a convenience fee for the refund advance service - you're essentially getting a short-term loan for your preparation fees. Next time, if you want to avoid this fee, just pay for TurboTax directly with a credit card or debit card when you file. You'll still get your full refund directly from the IRS without any middleman taking a cut. Many people don't realize they're actually paying extra for this service until they notice the discrepancy in their refund amount.

Does taxr.ai work with documents from previous years too? I'm wondering if I got hit with this SBTPG fee last year without noticing it. Can it tell me if I've been overpaying on my tax prep for years?

I'm kinda skeptical about these tax analysis services. How much does taxr.ai cost? If I'm already annoyed at paying a $39 fee to SBTPG, I don't want to pay even more to figure out I'm being charged too much...

Yes, it absolutely works with documents from previous years! You can upload past returns and it will analyze if you've been charged these kinds of hidden fees before. Many people discover they've been paying these extra fees for years without realizing it. The value comes from the complete analysis it provides - not just identifying hidden fees like the SBTPG charge, but also potential deductions you might have missed. Most people I've talked to say they found enough savings to make it worth it. I was shocked when it identified over $300 in tax deductions I had completely missed over the past two years.

Wait, how exactly does this work? Does Claimyr just call and wait on hold for you? I'm confused about how they can get you through faster than if you called yourself.

This sounds too good to be true. The IRS phone system is notoriously terrible. I've literally tried calling dozens of times and either get disconnected or told to call back another time. You're saying this service somehow bypasses all that?

They use a combination of technology and timing to maximize your chances of getting through. Basically, they have a system that navigates the IRS phone tree automatically and keeps trying to connect until they get a spot in the queue. Once they've secured a spot, they call you to connect with the agent. They don't bypass anything - they just handle all the frustrating parts like navigating the menu options, dealing with disconnects, and waiting on hold. The key is they know exactly when call volume is lowest and which menu options have the shortest queues. When I used it, I just went about my day until they called me saying an agent was ready to talk. Definitely better than listening to the hold music for hours!

Is there any way to get this fee refunded? I feel like they didn't properly disclose this when I was filing and I wouldn't have chosen that option if I knew there was an extra $39 fee.

Unfortunately, it's extremely difficult to get this fee refunded. The disclosure is technically there in the terms and conditions you agree to during filing, even if it's not prominent. I've heard of a few people successfully arguing for a refund by calling TurboTax customer service and claiming the fee wasn't properly disclosed, but most people aren't successful. Your best bet is to just avoid this option in the future. Always pay for tax preparation directly rather than having it deducted from your refund, and you'll avoid the SBTPG middleman entirely. The IRS will send your full refund directly to you with no extra fees taken out.

I noticed the same thing! The IRS "Where's My Refund" tool showed my refund was issued on February 12, but I didn't actually get the money from SBTPG until February 19. Feels like they're holding our money to earn interest on it before passing it along.

This is such good advice! I'm definitely one of those people who got fooled by the "convenience" marketing. Looking back, paying $39 extra just to avoid putting the TurboTax fee on my credit card seems ridiculous. And you're absolutely right about the delay - I was wondering why my refund took so much longer this year compared to when I filed with a different service last year. Now I know it was because of SBTPG sitting on my money for a week. Lesson learned for next tax season!

I'm in the exact same boat! Just filed my taxes and chose that "convenient" option without realizing what I was getting into. When I saw SBTPG on my bank statement, I honestly thought someone had stolen my refund at first. It's really frustrating how they bury the details about this extra fee and the third-party processor. I'm definitely going to be more careful reading the fine print next year. It's crazy that we essentially pay a premium to make our refund process more complicated and slower. Thanks for sharing your experience - at least now I know I'm not the only one who got caught off guard by this!