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.
53 comments
Leila Haddad
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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Eduardo Silva
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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Emma Johnson
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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Leila Haddad
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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Emma Johnson
Claimyr? Never heard of it. How does it work? Is it expensive?
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Leila Haddad
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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Ravi Patel
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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Astrid Bergström
Sounds interesting. How exactly does it work? Does it just read your transcript or does it do more?
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Ravi Patel
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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Astrid Bergström
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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PixelPrincess
is this for real? feels like an ad 🤔
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Ravi Patel
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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Omar Farouk
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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Chloe Martin
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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Diego Fernández
Really? Never heard of that service before. How does it work?
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Chloe Martin
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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Diego Fernández
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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Anastasia Kuznetsov
yeah right, another 'miracle solution'... what's the catch? 🙄
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Chloe Martin
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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Sean Fitzgerald
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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Eduardo Silva
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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Sean Fitzgerald
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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MoonlightSonata
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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Mateo Gonzalez
Preach! 👏👏👏
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Nia Williams
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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Eduardo Silva
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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Luca Ricci
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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Aisha Mohammed
wait hold up - does this actually work or is it just the usual BS?
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Luca Ricci
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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Ethan Campbell
hmm I've been burned by so many of these 'services' before... what makes this different?
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Luca Ricci
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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Yuki Watanabe
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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Eduardo Silva
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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Carmen Sanchez
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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Andre Dupont
another day, another company promising to fix the unfixable tax system lol
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Carmen Sanchez
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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Andre Dupont
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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Zoe Papadakis
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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ThunderBolt7
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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Jamal Edwards
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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Mei Chen
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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ThunderBolt7
For real? Whats that and how does it work?
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Mei Chen
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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Liam O'Sullivan
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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Amara Okonkwo
THIS!!! 💯💯💯
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Giovanni Marino
Or just use free file and avoid paying a preparer at all if your taxes are fairly simple
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Fatima Al-Sayed
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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Eduardo Silva
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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Dylan Hughes
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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NightOwl42
sounds like one of those ads that pops up everywhere. anyone ACTUALLY try this?
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Sofia Rodriguez
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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Dylan Hughes
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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