Refund with Fees/Advance - Tracking SBTPG Trace Numbers and Deposit Timeline

These SBTPG trace numbers are always a headache. Last year, I had a similar situation with my DDD and the trace number showed up literally 6 hours before the deposit hit my account. The year before that, it was almost 48 hours before. There's really no consistency in their system. From what I've seen this year, people are reporting trace numbers appearing anywhere from 24-72 hours before actual deposit, but some are getting deposits without ever seeing a trace number update at all. It's frustrating because you'd think they'd have a more predictable system by now.

I'm not entirely sure, but I believe the trace numbers might be appearing later this year than in previous years. It seems like SBTPG might be handling things differently this tax season. From what I've observed, some people are getting their deposits without ever seeing a trace number update, while others are seeing the trace appear just hours before deposit. Maybe check your bank's pending deposits section too? Sometimes the money is already in process but not showing in SBTPG's system.

I had a DDD of 2/14 and my trace number appeared on SBTPG on 2/13 at exactly 4:37pm. The money hit my account on 2/15 at 2:15am. Last year my DDD was 3/5 and I got the trace number on 3/4 around 5pm, with the deposit arriving 3/5 at 9am. It seems like they're running about 12-24 hours from trace to deposit this year. When I couldn't get any info on my first refund, I tried calling SBTPG but was on hold for over an hour. I finally used Claimyr.com to get through to an IRS agent who confirmed everything was processing normally. Saved me hours of waiting and worrying! The agent explained that once the IRS sends the money to SBTPG, it takes 1-2 business days for them to process it and send it to your bank.

I've been tracking my refunds meticulously for the past three years. Here's my personal experience: I received my DDD for 2/26 this year, saw my trace number appear on SBTPG on 2/25 at approximately 3:15 PM, and the funds were in my account by 6:30 AM on 2/26. Last year, I had a similar experience with my trace appearing about 15 hours before deposit. I've noticed that credit unions tend to post deposits earlier than traditional banks, and online banks seem to be the fastest of all. I keep a spreadsheet with all these details because I'm very particular about planning my finances around tax season!

After dealing with exactly 3 refund delays in the past 5 years, I started using https://taxr.ai to analyze my transcripts this year. It showed me precisely when my refund was released to SBTPG (exactly 24 hours before my DDD) and explained the exact codes on my transcript. For those wondering about trace numbers, I found that they typically appear 12-36 hours before deposit, and my refund came exactly 18.5 hours after the trace appeared. I appreciate how taxr.ai breaks down the whole timeline - it correctly predicted both my DDD and when SBTPG would process my refund based on my transcript codes.

This whole SBTPG trace number situation reminds me of last year when everyone was panicking about delayed deposits. Compared to the 2022 tax season when some people waited weeks after their DDD, this year seems to be running much smoother. Most people I've talked to are seeing deposits within 1-2 days of their DDD, even with the fee deductions. The banking system just takes time to process these transactions, especially when there's a middle-man like SBTPG involved. I empathize with everyone anxiously waiting - we've all been there refreshing our bank apps every hour!

Does the ACH transfer protocol used by SBTPG affect the timing of when trace numbers appear? I've been researching NACHA guidelines and wondering if there's a specific cutoff time for same-day ACH processing that would explain the pattern people are seeing with trace numbers?

I might be in the minority here, but my trace number didn't actually appear until AFTER my deposit hit my account. It was sort of bizarre - I checked SBTPG around 9pm on my DDD day and saw nothing, then woke up to find the money in my account at 4am, but the trace number didn't show up on SBTPG until around noon that same day. So I wouldn't necessarily worry if you don't see a trace number right away. It seems like their system updates can be somewhat unpredictable.

Just got my refund today! DDD was 2/26, trace number appeared at 7:23pm on 2/25, and money was in my account at 12:01am on 2/26. Everything went exactly as planned! I was actually impressed with how smooth it was compared to last year when I had to wait an extra week past my DDD. For anyone still waiting - hang in there, the system is working, just maybe not as fast as we'd all like. 🙌

Word of caution from someone who's been burned before: Don't count on that money until it's actually in your account! 😅 Last year I had a DDD of 3/12, saw my trace number on 3/11, told my landlord I'd pay on the 12th... and then the money didn't hit until 3/15 because of some "processing delay" at SBTPG. They take their sweet time deducting their fees before sending it along. The IRS might be prompt with their timeline, but these third-party processors march to their own drummer.