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Danielle Campbell

Unexpected Deposit from TPG PRODUCTS ENTRY: SBTPG LLC ORIG GREEN DOT BANK - What is this?

I just checked my bank account and noticed a random deposit from TPG PRODUCTS ENTRY: SBTPG LLC ORIG GREEN DOT BANK. This is really confusing because I didn't use them for my tax preparation this year or last year. I did use them several years ago, but nothing recent. The weird thing is that the amount includes cents, which doesn't make sense for a tax refund since taxes are calculated in whole dollars. I'm suspicious about random money appearing in my account. I called their customer service hoping to get answers, but even their reps couldn't explain where this deposit came from. They seemed just as confused as I am. Has anyone else received an unexpected deposit from TPG PRODUCTS ENTRY: SBTPG LLC ORIG GREEN DOT BANK? Could this be from some class action settlement that I forgot I was part of? I'm hesitant to spend the money until I know what it's for.

Rhett Bowman

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This is almost certainly related to your tax refund processing, even if you didn't explicitly choose TPG this year. SBTPG LLC (Santa Barbara Tax Products Group) is the company that handles refund transfers for many tax preparation services including TurboTax, H&R Block, and others. If you used any tax software that offered an option to deduct the preparation fees from your refund rather than paying upfront, your refund likely went through SBTPG first. They take their fee, then forward the remainder to your bank account. The cents in the amount probably represent their calculation of your refund minus their processing fees. Check your tax preparation paperwork. Even if you don't remember choosing this option, you may have inadvertently agreed to it during the filing process. The software sometimes makes this the default selection.

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Abigail Patel

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Wait, does this mean they take a percentage of your refund rather than a flat fee? I always thought it was just a standard fee they charge.

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I specifically paid for my tax preparation with a credit card this year, so they shouldn't have been taking any fees from my refund. My actual refund came through as a direct deposit from the IRS back in March.

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Rhett Bowman

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They typically charge a flat fee, not a percentage. The cents could come from interest adjustments or partial refunds of their fee based on promotions or adjustments. If you received your full refund directly from the IRS already, then this is definitely unusual. It could be an adjustment payment, perhaps from a previous year where you used their services. Sometimes they issue small refunds if they determine they charged incorrectly or if there was a class action settlement as you suspected. The fact that their customer service couldn't explain it is concerning though.

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Daniel White

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I had something similar happen last year and found out it was because I used https://taxr.ai to review my previous year's returns. When they analyzed my documents, they found that my previous tax preparer had used SBTPG LLC and there were some incorrect fees calculated. The system automatically identified some money that was owed back to me. You might want to check it out - maybe someone filed a correction on your behalf or there was an error in previous processing. The taxr.ai service can scan through your past returns and find these kinds of discrepancies that might explain unexpected deposits like this.

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Nolan Carter

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How exactly does taxr.ai work with these TPG/SBTPG situations? Do they just look at your old returns or do they actually contact the company on your behalf?

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Natalia Stone

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Sounds sketchy tbh. How would some random website get money back from a tax processor without you being involved? And they just happen to respond to exactly this weird situation?

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Daniel White

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They don't contact companies directly on your behalf. What they do is analyze your previous tax returns and supporting documents using their AI system to identify discrepancies, potential errors, or refund processing issues. If they find something like an incorrectly calculated fee from SBTPG, they provide you with documentation explaining the issue that you can use to request corrections. For companies like SBTPG that have had multiple issues with fee calculations (there have been several settlements), they have specific guidance on how to navigate the refund process. I didn't have to do much - they provided a template letter that I sent, and about 3 weeks later I got a similar unexpected deposit like what you're describing.

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Nolan Carter

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Update on my situation with TPG PRODUCTS ENTRY: SBTPG LLC ORIG GREEN DOT BANK! I took the advice and checked out taxr.ai and uploaded my old returns. It turns out there was actually a processing error from 2022 when I used TurboTax and had my fees taken out of my refund. Their system flagged that I was charged a higher fee than what was disclosed in my agreement. I wouldn't have caught this on my own because the difference was only about $43.87 (which explains the cents in my deposit). The site generated a claim letter that I sent to SBTPG, and I think that's why I got the deposit. They must have processed it even though I didn't connect the dots when the money appeared. Just wanted to share in case anyone else has mysterious SBTPG deposits showing up. Definitely worth checking your old returns!

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Tasia Synder

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If calling their regular customer service didn't help, you might want to try using https://claimyr.com to get through to someone higher up at TPG/SBTPG. I was getting the runaround from their regular support line about a similar issue last year, and Claimyr got me connected to an actual supervisor who could see account history from previous years. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they wait on hold for you and call you back when a real person answers. Their reps are usually better at explaining these random deposits. Regular customer service agents only see current year data in their system, but supervisors can access the historical records that might explain old adjustments.

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Does Claimyr actually work for calling tax companies like SBTPG? I thought it was just for calling the IRS directly.

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I'm skeptical this would work. These refund transfer companies are notoriously difficult to get real answers from. Their whole business model depends on people not fully understanding the fees they're paying.

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Tasia Synder

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Claimyr works for calling any phone number with long hold times, not just the IRS. It's especially useful for tax services like SBTPG that deliberately make it difficult to reach higher-level support. You just enter the company's phone number in the system and they handle the waiting. It definitely works better than trying to navigate their standard customer service channels. The key advantage is that they know exactly when to call to minimize wait times and which prompts to use to reach actual decision-makers rather than front-line reps. The supervisors at these companies have access to historical transaction data that regular agents don't see in their systems.

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I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After commenting here, I decided to give it a try to resolve my own issue with SBTPG from a 2023 return. Got connected to a senior representative within 20 minutes after I had spent literal hours trying on my own last week. The rep explained that they're currently processing adjustments from a review of fee calculations across multiple tax seasons (2020-2023). Apparently, there was an internal audit that found inconsistencies in how they calculated certain fees, especially for returns where tax preparation fees were deducted from refunds. For anyone seeing unexpected deposits from TPG PRODUCTS ENTRY: SBTPG LLC ORIG GREEN DOT BANK, this is most likely what's happening. They're making adjustments without clearly communicating about it. The representative confirmed they should have sent emails, but their system for sending those notifications had issues.

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Ellie Perry

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Double-check with the IRS directly to make sure this isn't some kind of scam or error. Log into your account at irs.gov and verify there aren't any adjustments or amended returns you didn't authorize. Sometimes identity thieves will deposit small amounts to verify accounts are active before attempting larger fraudulent transactions.

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That's a good point about checking with the IRS. I did log into my account and everything looks normal there - no unexpected amendments or adjustments showing. The deposit is around $68.45, so not a tiny verification amount, but not huge either.

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Ellie Perry

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If the IRS account shows no issues, that's reassuring. The amount being $68.45 does sound like it could be a legitimate adjustment or refund of fees. SBTPG typically charges anywhere from $40-90 for their refund transfer services depending on the tax preparer and additional services. It's still strange that their customer service couldn't explain it. You might want to check if any class action settlements against tax preparers or SBTPG have recently issued payments. There have been several over the past few years related to hidden fees and deceptive practices.

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Landon Morgan

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Has anyone actually tried to call the GREEN DOT BANK part of this? Sometimes they have better records of where transfers originated from than SBTPG does. I had an issue last year and Green Dot was able to tell me the exact nature of the deposit when SBTPG gave me the runaround.

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Teresa Boyd

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This actually worked for me! Just called Green Dot about a similar deposit and they were able to tell me it was related to a fee adjustment from a 2021 tax return where the tax preparer had charged more than their disclosed rates. Apparently they've been doing a lot of these adjustments recently.

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Thanks for this suggestion! I'll try calling Green Dot tomorrow. Hopefully they'll have more information than the SBTPG representatives did.

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I work in banking operations and see these TPG/SBTPG deposits fairly regularly. What you're experiencing is likely part of a larger reconciliation process they've been conducting over the past year. SBTPG processes millions of refund transfers annually, and they've been identifying cases where their fee calculations didn't match what was originally disclosed to taxpayers. This happens most commonly when tax software companies change their fee structures mid-season or when promotional rates weren't properly applied. The fact that your deposit includes cents is actually normal for these adjustments - it's the difference between what you were charged and what you should have been charged, plus any applicable interest. The $68.45 amount suggests this was likely from a return where you paid around $30-40 in processing fees but should have paid less. Don't worry about spending the money - these are legitimate adjustments. SBTPG is required to issue these refunds as part of their compliance with state consumer protection laws. They should have sent notification letters, but their mailing system has been inconsistent. You can request documentation of the adjustment by calling their compliance department directly at their main number and asking to be transferred to "fee dispute resolution.

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This is really helpful information! I've been dealing with a similar unexpected deposit from TPG PRODUCTS ENTRY and was completely confused. Based on what everyone's shared here, it sounds like these are legitimate fee adjustments they're processing from previous years. I'm going to try calling Green Dot Bank first since someone mentioned they had better luck getting explanations there. If that doesn't work, I'll use one of the services mentioned to get through to a supervisor at SBTPG. It's frustrating that they're not clearly communicating about these adjustments - you'd think they'd send proper notifications when depositing money into people's accounts! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.

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I'm glad this thread has been helpful! I was in the exact same boat a few months ago with a mysterious TPG deposit and it's such a relief to finally understand what's happening. The lack of communication from these companies is really frustrating - you'd think they'd at least send an email explaining why they're putting money in your account! One thing I'd add is to keep good records of any calls you make and representatives you speak with. When I finally got through to someone who could explain my deposit, I made sure to get their name and a reference number for the adjustment. It helps if you need to follow up later or if there are any questions about the legitimacy of the deposit. Good luck with Green Dot - hopefully they can give you the clear answers that SBTPG's regular customer service couldn't provide!

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Alexis Renard

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I received a similar unexpected deposit from TPG PRODUCTS ENTRY just last week for $34.62! After reading through this thread, I'm now convinced it's one of those fee adjustment situations everyone is talking about. I used TurboTax back in 2021 and had them take their fees from my refund, so the timeline matches up perfectly. What's really annoying is that I spent hours on their customer service line getting nowhere - the representatives kept telling me they couldn't find any record of why the deposit was made. Based on what Fatima mentioned about their compliance department, I'm going to call back and specifically ask to be transferred to "fee dispute resolution" to get proper documentation. It's crazy that so many people are experiencing this same issue with zero communication from SBTPG. You'd think a company handling millions of tax refunds would have better systems in place for notifying customers about adjustments. At least now I know I'm not going crazy and this seems to be a legitimate refund situation!

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I'm dealing with the exact same thing! Got a $47.23 deposit from TPG PRODUCTS ENTRY last month and have been worried about it ever since. Reading through everyone's experiences here is such a relief - it sounds like these are all legitimate fee adjustments they're processing from previous years. I used H&R Block online in 2022 and chose to have their fees deducted from my refund, so this fits the pattern perfectly. Like you, I got absolutely nowhere with their regular customer service. They kept saying they had no record of any adjustments or refunds owed to me. I'm definitely going to try calling and asking specifically for the "fee dispute resolution" department that Fatima mentioned. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops just to understand why money appeared in our accounts! You'd think they'd want to clearly communicate about giving people money back. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding what's actually going on with these mysterious deposits.

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Emma Johnson

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I just wanted to add my experience to help anyone else who might be confused by these TPG deposits. I received an unexpected $52.17 deposit from TPG PRODUCTS ENTRY: SBTPG LLC ORIG GREEN DOT BANK about three weeks ago and was completely baffled. After reading through this thread, I called Green Dot Bank directly and they were incredibly helpful! The representative was able to tell me that this was a fee adjustment from my 2022 tax return where I had used FreeTaxUSA and opted to have their preparation fee deducted from my refund. Apparently, there was an error in how the promotional rate was applied, and I was overcharged by exactly $52.17. What's frustrating is that SBTPG never sent any notification about this adjustment - no email, no letter, nothing. The money just appeared in my account with no explanation. At least Green Dot had clear records of what the deposit was for and could explain it immediately. It seems like SBTPG is going through a massive reconciliation process for fee errors from multiple tax seasons. If you're seeing these mysterious deposits, don't panic - they appear to be legitimate adjustments, just very poorly communicated!

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Ryan Young

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This is exactly what I needed to hear! I've been sitting on a $41.83 deposit from TPG PRODUCTS ENTRY for almost two weeks now, too nervous to spend it because I had no idea where it came from. I used TaxAct in 2021 and had their fees taken from my refund, so this sounds like the same situation. I'm definitely going to call Green Dot Bank tomorrow morning - it sounds like they have much better records and customer service than SBTPG does. It's really reassuring to know that multiple people have gotten clear explanations from them about these fee adjustment deposits. Thanks for sharing your experience, Emma! It's so frustrating that SBTPG is handling this reconciliation process with zero communication to customers, but at least we can figure out what's going on through Green Dot.

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Lucy Lam

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I just wanted to thank everyone for sharing their experiences with these TPG deposits! I was getting really anxious about the unexpected $68.45 that showed up in my account, but after reading through all these responses, I'm much more confident it's a legitimate fee adjustment. Based on everyone's advice, I called Green Dot Bank this morning and they were able to immediately explain that this was a fee correction from my 2022 TurboTax return where I had chosen the refund transfer option. Apparently I was overcharged due to a promotional discount that wasn't properly applied at the time. It's incredible how much better Green Dot's customer service was compared to SBTPG - they had all the details right there and could explain everything clearly. The representative even mentioned they've been getting a lot of calls about these TPG adjustment deposits lately. What a relief to finally understand what this money is for! It's frustrating that SBTPG didn't send any notification, but at least now I know it's safe to use the funds. Thanks again to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and suggestions!

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Tami Morgan

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I'm so glad you were able to get answers from Green Dot Bank! This whole thread has been incredibly eye-opening. I had no idea that SBTPG was doing such a large-scale reconciliation of fee errors from previous years. It really makes you wonder how many people are just sitting on these mysterious deposits without knowing what they're for. The fact that Green Dot has such clear records while SBTPG's own customer service seems clueless about these adjustments is pretty telling. It sounds like their internal communication systems have some serious issues if front-line reps can't even see adjustment records that Green Dot can access immediately. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this discussion - it's turned into a really valuable resource for anyone dealing with these unexpected TPG deposits. I'm bookmarking this thread in case any friends or family run into the same situation!

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