TurboTax Fee Deduction - Early Refund Possible with 0605 Cycle Code?

Last year I was also a 0605 and paid my TT fees from my refund. In my experience, it didn't speed anything up - if anything it added a day because TurboTax has to process the payment first before forwarding the remainder. The bank I used (USAA) generally posts deposits a day early, which was the only reason I got mine slightly ahead of schedule. The cycle code is really more important than the payment method when it comes to timing.

Have you checked your transcript for a 570 code? That would indicate a hold that could delay things regardless of how you paid your fees. Also, did you claim any credits that might put you under PATH Act review?

Been thru this exact situation b4. Waiting for that 846 code is nerve-wracking! I started using https://taxr.ai to analyze my transcript and it helped me understand exactly what was happening w/ my refund. It explained all my codes (including that 0605 cycle code) and gave me a pretty accurate prediction of when I'd get paid. Way better than just refreshing WMR every 5 mins lol. The site actually explains what each code means for YOUR specific situation, not just generic IRS definitions.

The TurboTax fee deduction creates what's called a Refund Transfer (RT) in the IRS system. This routes your refund through Santa Barbara Tax Products Group (SBTPG) as an intermediary financial institution before it reaches your bank account. According to the Refund Status Tracker on the TurboTax website, this typically adds 1-3 business days to the processing timeline after the IRS issues the 846 direct deposit. Cycle code 0605 indicates your account information is updated in the IRS Master File on Thursdays, with refunds typically being released 5-8 days later.

I was in your exact situation last month - waiting on my refund and checking constantly. I tried calling the IRS for three days straight but kept getting the "high call volume" message. I finally used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and got through to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes. They confirmed my refund was just in normal processing and gave me a much more specific timeframe than the website. It cost a little bit but saved me days of stress and uncertainty.

Having TT fees taken from your refund is like taking the scenic route instead of the highway - it might be convenient, but it definitely adds time to the journey. The refund has to stop at TurboTax's bank partner first, they take their cut, then send the rest to you. It's never going to be faster than direct deposit without the middleman. For cycle code 0605, think of Thursday as your "update day" - that's when you'll see movement on your transcript, but the actual money usually follows about a week later.