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Eduardo Silva

SBTPG sent my refund to closed bank account - what happens next and how long will it take?

I filed my taxes back in April 2025 and just found out my refund was sent to my old bank account that I closed last November. My tax preparer used SBTPG (Santa Barbara Tax Products Group) and says they'll issue me a paper check once they're notified about the rejected deposit. Has anyone gone through this before? How long does it typically take for SBTPG to process the returned funds and either redeposit or mail a check? Getting kinda nervous since I was counting on that $3,450 for some overdue bills.

I had the exact same issue last year. Once SBTPG gets the rejected deposit back from the bank (usually takes 3-5 business days), they'll issue a paper check that takes about 7-10 days to arrive. In total, you're looking at 2-3 weeks from when the deposit was rejected. Make sure your tax preparer has your current mailing address on file with SBTPG. Also, you can create an account on the SBTPG website to track the status - they'll show when the deposit was rejected and when they mail the check. If it takes longer than 3 weeks, call SBTPG directly at 1-800-901-6663. You might be on hold for a while, but they can tell you exactly what's happening with your refund.

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Thanks for the detailed info! Just created an account on their website but it's only showing "deposit sent" status. Nothing about rejection yet. Guess I need to be patient...

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I'm currently in this situation too and SBTPG's phone system is absolutely GARBAGE. Been trying for 3 days and cant get through to anyone 😤

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Yeah their phone system is terrible. If you're having trouble getting through, try calling right when they open at 8am PT or use Claimyr.com - I used it last year when I was desperate and got a callback from an SBTPG agent within an hour. Best money I ever spent to finally get my questions answered.

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Claimyr? Never heard of it. How does it work? Is it expensive?

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It basically holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Talking to an agent got my refund released way faster than waiting for the automatic process. Way better than spending hours on hold or calling 50 times a day!

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I had to deal with this nightmare last year. Instead of struggling to understand the process and timeline, I used taxr.ai which gave me a clear breakdown of exactly what would happen and when. It analyzed my transcript data and showed me the timeline for when SBTPG would process the return, explained all the codes, and showed me what to watch for. Saved me tons of stress and helped me understand exactly what was happening instead of guessing and panicking. You can check it out at https://taxr.ai - seriously better than playing detective trying to piece together what's going on with your money.

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

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It's AMAZING. It reads your transcript and translates all those confusing codes and dates into plain English. Shows you timelines, explains what each code means, gives predictions about your refund date, and tells you if there are any issues that might delay things. Honestly gave me more info than even my tax guy could. I'm telling EVERYONE about it now.

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Just tried it and WOW. Where has this been all my life?? I've been struggling with transcript codes for years and this explained everything in seconds. Thanks for the recommendation!

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is this for real? feels like an ad 🤔

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I get why it sounds like that but seriously try it. I was in the same boat as OP last tax season and spent weeks trying to figure out what was happening. This tool literally saved my sanity.

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I went through this in 2024. It took about 2 weeks for SBTPG to send me a check after the rejected deposit. Make sure your address is current with your tax preparer! Also, keep in mind that SBTPG will deduct their fees from your refund before sending the check.

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Just went thru this. Had a helluva time trying to reach anyone at SBTPG - their customer service is trash. After getting nowhere for a week, I used Claimyr.com and actually got a callback from an agent in like 45 minutes. They confirmed my check was being processed and gave me the exact date it would mail. Talking to an agent got my refund released so fast compared to just waiting around. Highly recommend if you're stuck.

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Really? Never heard of that service before. How does it work?

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It basically navigates those awful phone trees and waits on hold for you. When an agent picks up, it calls you and connects you. It was the only way I could talk to a live agent after trying for days on my own.

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omg this sounds like exactly what I need. Ive been trying to call the IRS about a completely different issue for weeks! Gonna try this right now

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yeah right, another 'miracle solution'... what's the catch? 🙄

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No catch - it's just a service that waits on hold so you don't have to. When someone picks up, it calls your phone and connects you. Saved me hours of frustration.

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This happened to me this year! The bank rejected my deposit on May 16th, and I got my check in the mail on June 3rd. So just under 3 weeks total. I also recommend creating an account on SBTPG's website so you can check the status. They'll update it when they process the check.

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That's not too bad. Did they notify you when the check was being mailed or did it just show up?

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No notification - it just showed up. The status on their website updated to "check mailed" about 3 days before I received it.

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Zara Khan

Honestly the IRS and these third-party processors are such a disaster. WHY is it so hard to change banking info after filing? It's 2025 and they still act like we're in the stone age. Good luck OP, the system is broken AF.

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For real. And don't get me started on how they can take our money instantly but it takes weeks to get a refund back. The whole system is designed to work against us 🤮

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Preach! 👏👏👏

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Quick question - did you have fees taken out of your refund? If so, that's why it went through SBTPG instead of directly from IRS to you. Just making sure you know for next year that if you pay your tax prep fees upfront, you can avoid this extra step and potential delays.

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Yeah, I had the filing fees taken out of my refund. Definitely regretting that decision now. Will pay upfront next year for sure.

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The most frustrating part of this whole process is trying to get information from SBTPG. They are IMPOSSIBLE to reach by phone. I was in your exact situation and spent 3 days trying to get through to anyone. Finally I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me a callback from SBTPG in under an hour. They confirmed my check was being processed and I got it 5 days later. It was worth every penny to finally talk to someone rather than staring at an unhelpful status page for weeks.

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wait hold up - does this actually work or is it just the usual BS?

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I was skeptical too, but yes it actually works. Basically holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Way better than redialing a hundred times.

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hmm I've been burned by so many of these 'services' before... what makes this different?

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It's different because it's solving a specific problem - getting through phone lines that are intentionally understaffed. It's not promising to fix everything, just to get you past the hold time. And it delivered exactly what it promised for me.

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Did your tax preparer use Republic Bank or SBTPG specifically? They operate a bit differently. If it's Republic, they'll typically mail a check within 7 days of the rejected deposit. If it's SBTPG, it can take up to 21 days. Call your tax preparer and ask them to follow up directly - they have special lines to these companies that are better than the public customer service numbers.

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It's definitely SBTPG. I'll reach out to my tax lady again, good to know she might have better access. Thanks!

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I almost had a heart attack when I encountered this exact problem this year. The stress of not knowing what was happening with MY MONEY was insane. I finally used taxr.ai which instantly decoded my transcript and showed me exactly where my refund was stuck and what was coming next. It saved me so much anxiety and showed me info the IRS website never could - exact dates, status, and what to expect. Highly recommend checking it out at https://taxr.ai instead of trying to piece together info from different sources.

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another day, another company promising to fix the unfixable tax system lol

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I was super skeptical too but it's not promising to "fix" anything - it just translates all that confusing IRS jargon and codes into plain English so you actually understand what's happening with your money. Honestly wish I'd known about it years ago.

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Fair enough. Just checked it out and it's actually pretty helpful. Much better explanation than anything on the IRS site.

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Keep an eye on your mail! Sometimes these checks come in very plain envelopes that look like junk mail. I almost threw mine away last year because it didn't say "tax refund" or anything obvious on the envelope.

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whatever u do DO NOT CALL SBTPG CUSTOMER SERVICE unless u want to waste 2+ hours of ur life. their hold times are insane and half the time they just hang up on u after waiting forever. i tried for 3 days and got nowhere.

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So true. I literally had to take a day off work last year just to sit on hold with them. Complete joke of a system.

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I got through after using Claimyr.com - it got me a callback from an agent without having to wait on hold. It was the only way I could talk to a live agent after trying for days on my own.

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For real? Whats that and how does it work?

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It navigates the phone system and waits on hold for you. When an agent answers, it calls your phone. Saved me literally hours of hold music and frustration. Definitely worth checking out if you're stuck trying to reach them.

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Pro tip: If you file next year, pay your tax preparation fees upfront instead of having them taken out of your refund. That way your refund goes directly from the IRS to your bank account, cutting out SBTPG or any other third party processor completely.

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THIS!!! 💯💯💯

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Or just use free file and avoid paying a preparer at all if your taxes are fairly simple

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One thing no one has mentioned - make sure your tax preparer has your CURRENT address on file. I went through this last year and my check got sent to my old address, creating an even bigger headache. If you've moved since filing, contact them ASAP to update your info.

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Good point! I moved in December but my tax lady has my updated address. At least that part should be ok 🤞

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So I was about to throw my laptop after 3 hours trying to decipher my transcript when I found taxr.ai last month. It was a total game changer for understanding what was happening with my refund. Instead of staring at cryptic codes, it gave me a clear explanation of each step, including SBTPG processing. Shows you exactly where your money is and what to expect next. Seriously worth checking out at https://taxr.ai if you want to understand what's actually happening instead of playing guessing games.

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sounds like one of those ads that pops up everywhere. anyone ACTUALLY try this?

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I tried it - it's legit. Takes the transcript data and translates all the codes into normal human language. Showed me exactly why my refund was delayed and when to expect it.

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It's definitely real. I was in the same boat as OP and spent weeks trying to figure out where my money was. This tool explained everything in plain English and was actually more helpful than calling the IRS.

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Same thing happened to me in 2023! The waiting is the worst part because you have no idea what's going on. In my case, it took about 18 days from when the deposit was rejected to when I got the paper check. SBTPG's website status updates are pretty slow - mine didn't show "deposit returned" until almost a week after it actually happened. One thing to watch out for - they'll deduct their processing fees from your refund amount before mailing the check, so you might get slightly less than the $3,450 you're expecting. Also, the check comes in a really plain envelope that honestly looks like junk mail, so keep an eye out for anything from "Santa Barbara Tax Products Group" or similar. If you need to reach them urgently, try calling first thing in the morning when they open. Their afternoon hold times are absolutely brutal. Hang in there - your money is coming!

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Thanks for the heads up about the plain envelope! I would have definitely thrown that away thinking it was junk mail. 18 days isn't too bad considering all the horror stories I've heard. Did you end up calling them or just wait it out?

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I went through this exact same situation in 2024 and it was incredibly stressful! My refund got sent to a closed account in March and I didn't find out until April. Here's what happened in my case: The bank rejected the deposit after about 3 business days, but it took SBTPG another week to actually process the return and update their system. Then they mailed a paper check which took about 10 days to arrive. Total time from rejection to check in hand was about 3 weeks. A few things that helped me get through it: - Check the SBTPG website daily - the status updates are slow but they do eventually show "deposit returned" and then "check mailed" - Make sure your tax preparer has your current address on file with SBTPG - The check comes in a very plain envelope that looks like junk mail - don't throw it away! - They will deduct their processing fees from your refund amount If you absolutely need to talk to someone, try calling SBTPG right when they open at 8am PT. The hold times get progressively worse throughout the day. I know $3,450 is a lot to have tied up - hang in there, it will come through!

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This is super helpful, thank you! The timeline you described sounds pretty similar to what others have mentioned. I'm definitely going to keep checking that SBTPG website daily now. Really appreciate the tip about the plain envelope too - I would have 100% tossed that thinking it was spam mail. The waiting game is killing me but at least now I have a better idea of what to expect. Fingers crossed it doesn't take longer than 3 weeks! 🤞

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This is such a common problem and it's so frustrating! I went through the exact same thing two years ago when my bank account got closed right before my refund hit. The whole process took about 2.5 weeks for me - the bank rejected it, SBTPG processed the return, and then mailed a paper check. A couple things that might help while you wait: - Keep checking your SBTPG account online daily. The status updates are slow but they'll eventually show when the deposit is returned and when they mail your check - Double check that your tax preparer has your current mailing address on file with SBTPG - When the check comes, it'll be in a super plain envelope that honestly looks like junk mail, so don't accidentally toss it! The waiting is the absolute worst part because you're just sitting there wondering where your money is. But it will come through - just takes way longer than it should. Sorry you're dealing with this stress, especially when you need that money for bills. Hang in there!

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This is really reassuring to hear from someone who's been through it! The 2.5 week timeline seems pretty consistent with what everyone else is saying. I've been checking the SBTPG site obsessively since reading all these comments and you're right - their updates are painfully slow. Still just showing "deposit sent" even though it's been days since the rejection. The junk mail warning is clutch though - I'm definitely going to be extra careful about what I throw away over the next few weeks. Thanks for the encouragement, really needed to hear that it does eventually work out! 🙏

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Been in this exact situation before and I feel your stress! My refund got sent to a closed account in 2024 and here's what I learned: The timeline is usually 2-3 weeks total once the bank rejects the deposit. SBTPG takes about 5-7 business days to process the returned funds, then another 7-10 days to mail and deliver the paper check. Few important things: - Create an account on SBTPG's website to track status (though updates are slow) - Confirm your current address is on file with your tax preparer - The check comes in a very plain envelope that looks like junk mail - don't throw it away! - They'll deduct their processing fees from your refund amount I know waiting for $3,450 when you have bills is stressful, but it will come through. Just be patient and check that SBTPG status daily. Next year definitely pay your prep fees upfront to avoid this whole third-party mess!

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Thanks for breaking down the timeline so clearly! The 2-3 week range seems to be what everyone is experiencing. I'm definitely going to be more careful about checking mail over the next few weeks after all these warnings about the plain envelope. And you're absolutely right about paying prep fees upfront next year - this whole SBTPG middleman situation is such a headache that could have been completely avoided. Really appreciate the reassurance that the money will eventually show up!

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I went through this nightmare last year and it was so stressful! My deposit got rejected in late March and I didn't get my check until mid-April - about 3 weeks total. The worst part is SBTPG's terrible communication - their website barely updates and calling them is like trying to reach aliens on Mars. Here's what actually helped me: I kept a daily log of checking their website status, made sure my tax preparer confirmed my address was current with SBTPG, and most importantly - I watched my mail like a hawk because that check really does look like total junk mail when it arrives. Almost threw mine in the trash! The fees they deduct are annoying but expected. Just hang in there - I know $3,450 tied up when you have bills due is absolutely anxiety-inducing, but it WILL come through. This system is broken but it does eventually work. Next year I'm definitely paying my prep fees upfront to skip this whole SBTPG mess entirely!

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Ugh, this whole situation sounds like such a mess! I'm dealing with something similar right now - my refund got sent to an account I closed months ago and I'm just sitting here waiting and stressing about it. The fact that SBTPG's communication is so terrible just makes everything worse. At least it sounds like you eventually got your money though! Did you ever try calling them or just gave up on that after realizing how impossible it is to get through? The daily log idea is smart - I might start doing that just to keep track of any changes on their site since the updates seem to move at a snail's pace.

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I tried calling SBTPG a few times but honestly gave up after spending hours on hold with no luck. Their phone system is absolutely brutal - you'll either get disconnected after waiting forever or just listen to hold music until you lose your mind. The daily log thing really helped me stay sane because at least I felt like I was doing *something* instead of just sitting there helplessly. Even though their website updates are painfully slow, seeing even tiny changes in status made me feel better. Hang in there - I know the waiting is the worst part but your money is definitely coming!

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