SBTPG site showing no trace number for my refund - filed 2 months ago
Has anyone else noticed theres no trace number on the sbtpg site for their refund? I efiled back in June and got accepted right away. My transcripts show the refund was issued late July but when I check sbtpg theres no trace number at all. Called the IRS yesterday and the rep said it was sent to my bank weeks ago but my bank has no record of it. Already tried calling sbtpg 4 times but their wait times are ridiculous and I always get disconnected. Anyone in the same boat or know what I should do next? My refund is $6,890 and I really need it for some bills coming up.
53 comments
AstroAdventurer
I had the same issue last year. The key thing to understand is that when a trace number isn't showing on SBTPG, it usually means there's a disconnect between what IRS shows as processed and what SBTPG has recorded. Here's what you need to do: - First, double check your transcripts for code 846 (refund issued) with the correct amount - Contact your bank again but specifically ask them to check for pending deposits or rejected deposits in their system - If your refund included fees for tax preparation that were to be deducted, SBTPG might be holding it for verification - File Form 3911 (Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund) - this initiates a formal trace - Keep documentation of all your communication attempts with SBTPG The IRS saying it was sent to your bank means they transferred it to SBTPG, not your actual bank account. SBTPG is the middleman processing your refund if you paid preparation fees from your refund.
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Carmen Lopez
Thanks for breaking this down! I do see the 846 code on my transcript dated 7/23. I'll defintely call my bank again tomorrow to check for any rejected deposits.
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Andre Dupont
Quick question - how long did yours take to resolve once you realized the trace number was missing? I've been waiting 3 weeks in the same situation 😩
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AstroAdventurer
Mine took about 4 weeks to resolve. But I've heard of some getting fixed in just a week. The form 3911 really seemed to get things moving.
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Andre Dupont
4 weeks? Ughhh that's forever when you're counting on that money!
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Zoe Papanikolaou
Where do you even find Form 3911? The IRS website is like a maze lol
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AstroAdventurer
Just google "IRS Form 3911 PDF" - it'll come right up. Or you can call and ask them to mail you one.
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Jamal Wilson
I had a similar problem with my refund and transcript codes. I was totally lost trying to understand what was happening until I used taxr.ai - it literally translated all my tax transcript jargon into plain English and showed me exactly what was happening with my refund. Turns out there was a processing delay that wouldn't have been obvious to me. The site analyzed everything and gave me step-by-step instructions on what to do next. Way better than spending hours researching and still being confused! Here's the link if anyone needs it: https://taxr.ai
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Mei Lin
Sounds interesting. How exactly does it work? Does it just read your transcript or does it do more?
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Jamal Wilson
It's amazing! You upload your transcript and it breaks down every code, explains where you are in the process, and tells you what to expect next. It even helped me understand that my refund was actually sent to the wrong account which is why I couldn't find it. Saved me WEEKS of stress and confusion trying to decode everything myself. Honestly wish I'd found it sooner!
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Liam Fitzgerald
is this like an official IRS thing or...?
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Jamal Wilson
Not IRS official but it's way more helpful than anything on the IRS site. It's like having a tax pro explain everything to you without the $200/hour fee. The analysis is super detailed - tells you exactly what's happening with dates and next steps.
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GalacticGuru
just checked it out and WOW this is exactly what I needed! My transcript might as well have been written in alien language before this 🤣
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Amara Nnamani
After waiting THREE MONTHS with the same problem (no trace number, IRS saying it was sent, bank saying nothing received), I finally got through to a live person at the IRS using the Claimyr app (claimyr.com). Total game changer! Got a callback in about 40 minutes instead of waiting on hold for 3+ hours. The agent was able to see that my refund had actually been sent back to the IRS because of an account number issue. Within days of that call my refund was reprocessed correctly. Honestly the best money I've spent all year considering I was about to lose my mind trying to figure this out on my own.
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Giovanni Mancini
Another app that wants my money? How do we know this actually works and isn't just taking advantage of desperate people?
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Amara Nnamani
I get the skepticism - I felt the same way! But after 7 attempts to call the IRS directly (averaging 2+ hours each time before getting disconnected), I was desperate. The app actually gets you in the IRS phone queue without you having to sit there. You get a callback when an agent is available. Saved me literal days of being on hold, and my $5k refund got fixed right after.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
does it work for other irs departments or just refund issues?
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Amara Nnamani
Works for pretty much any IRS department. My friend used it for tax payment questions last month too. They just need to know which department you need.
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Dylan Cooper
Had exactly this happen to me. Turns out SBTPG held onto my refund because the name on my bank account didn't EXACTLY match my tax return (I used my middle initial on one but not the other). Such a stupid reason to hold $7000+ hostage. I had to upload ID verification documents to them before they'd release it. Check your email including spam folders for any requests from them.
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Sofia Morales
This whole system is broken. SBTPG shouldn't even exist - it's just a middleman taking fees and causing delays. Why do we need a third party between us and our own tax refunds??? 🤡🤡🤡
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StarSailor
PREACH! 👏 They exist solely because tax preparers want to get their fees directly from your refund.
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Dmitry Ivanov
Facts. I switched to direct filing thru IRS Free File this year and got my refund in 10 days. No SBTPG nonsense.
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Ava Garcia
Literally just a way for them to skim a few more dollars off each person. It's predatory af
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Miguel Silva
Check if your refund was offset for any debts like student loans, child support, or even state taxes. I had a similar issue where the refund was showing as issued but it actually got intercepted for an old debt I forgot about. The trace number disappears in those cases sometimes.
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Carmen Lopez
No offsets that I know of. My transcripts show the full amount being issued and I don't have any federal debts.
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Zainab Ismail
When i had this issue, I checked the Where's My Refund tool on the IRS website and it gave me more info than SBTPG site did. Have you tried that?
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Carmen Lopez
Yeah, WMR just says "refund sent" with the date from a few weeks ago. Doesn't give any additional info beyond that.
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Zainab Ismail
ugh that's so annoying. the irs systems are stuck in 1995 i swear
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Connor O'Neill
Maybe a dumb question but did you use a tax preparer like H&R Block or TurboTax and choose to have your fees taken out of your refund? That's the only reason SBTPG would be involved at all. If you paid fees upfront or used free filing, your refund should go straight to your bank.
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Carmen Lopez
Yeah I used TurboTax and had the fees taken from my refund. That's why I'm checking SBTPG.
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QuantumQuester
I went through HELL with this exact situation last year. Here's what I learned - SBTPG won't update their site properly if there's ANY issue with your refund. After weeks of stress, I finally used taxr.ai to analyze my transcript and understand what was happening (my refund was being held for review due to a math error I didn't know about). The site explained everything clearly and told me EXACTLY what to do. Solved my issue in days instead of months of confusion: https://taxr.ai
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Yara Nassar
the real question is why tf we let these tax prep companies hold our refunds hostage to begin with?? the whole system is rigged against regular taxpayers 😤
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Keisha Williams
For real!! They lobby Congress to keep taxes complicated so we need their services, then charge us fees to get our OWN money back. Make it make sense
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Paolo Ricci
I avoid this every year by paying my prep fees with a credit card upfront. Worth it to get my refund faster and directly.
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Amina Toure
One time SBTPG actually LOST my deposit. Can you believe that?? They claimed it was "returned by the bank" but my bank had no record of rejecting anything. I ended up waiting 3 more months. I recommend filing that Form 3911 ASAP to start the trace process - don't wait like I did.
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Oliver Zimmermann
Have u checked your account info on your tax return? Coz I had a typo in my routing number and that caused a similar issue. The money got sent back to IRS.
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Carmen Lopez
Just double checked and the routing and account numbers are correct on my return. Good suggestion though!
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CosmicCommander
I remember being in this exact situation last year - complete nightmare trying to figure out what was going on. I finally managed to reach an IRS agent using Claimyr (claimyr.com) and found out my refund had been flagged for ID verification that I never received notice about. Their callback service saved me from spending another day on hold. After that one call my refund was processed within a week. Totally worth it when you're dealing with thousands of dollars in limbo.
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Natasha Volkova
Never heard of this - does it actually work? The IRS phone system is literally the 9th circle of hell
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CosmicCommander
It absolutely works! You basically pay them to wait on hold for you. When they reach an agent, you get a call connecting you. Saved me like 4 hours of hold music and the agent I spoke with fixed my issue right away. My only regret is not using it sooner and stressing for weeks instead.
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Javier Torres
I used it last month too - got a callback in 55 mins when I had been trying for DAYS to get through. Definitely recommend.
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Emma Davis
dont forget to check if they have your CORRECT bank info. i spent 2 months freaking out only to find out they had an old account number on file from 2019 somehow 🙃
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Malik Johnson
If all else fails, contact your local Taxpayer Advocate Service office. They can sometimes cut through the red tape faster than you can on your own. They're literally designed to help with situations where normal IRS channels aren't working.
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Isabella Ferreira
YES THIS! The TAS helped me recover a lost refund last year when nobody else would help.
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Ravi Sharma
Been there done that. I had the exact same situation in 2023 and it turns out SBTPG had flagged my account for "security verification" but never bothered to notify me. After spending hours on the phone and getting nowhere, I finally used taxr.ai to figure out what was actually happening with my transcript. It showed me exactly where the holdup was and what to do next. The site even explained that SBTPG was likely holding the funds due to verification issues based on my transcript codes. Saved me SO much frustration: https://taxr.ai
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NebulaNomad
How much did it cost? is it worth it?
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Ravi Sharma
TOTALLY worth it. The analysis was super detailed and gave me clear next steps. Instead of guessing what was happening, I knew exactly what to say when I called SBTPG. Got my $4200 refund released within days after being stuck for over a month!
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Freya Thomsen
did you get any emails from sbtpg at all? sometimes they send verification requests that go to spam. check all your folders!
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Carmen Lopez
Just checked spam and nothing there. The only email I got from them was when I first registered on their site months ago.
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Omar Fawaz
Ughhh why does the IRS make everything so complicated?? In 2024 they still can't figure out how to efficiently give people THEIR OWN MONEY back. 🤦♀️
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Chloe Martin
Because their systems are from the 1970s and Congress keeps cutting their budget 💀
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Diego Rojas
My friend works for the IRS and says they're still using computers older than some of their employees lmaooo
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Anastasia Sokolov
meanwhile other countries just do your taxes FOR you automatically. we're so behind
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