Santa Barbara Tax Products Group

Forum|Forum|11 months ago
April 17, 2025
2 replies
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This looks like a scam. I filed my taxes and was due a refund. I owe no taxes and there was no need to use my refund to pay taxes. I received a email from them that my refund was on its way. Sure enough it came the following day but was short $1,300. Why was this company involved at all? Logged into IRS and they said that they may need additional information to receive full refund???

When I called Santa Barbara TPG their AI agent was only taking information on a Walmart cashiers check issue and there was no one to speak to anyone.

What is going on??

Best answer by VolvoGirl

I used the desktop Premiere version that include the federal and state tax returns. I don't owe any fees.

Not sure what is going on.

I suspected that. In the Desktop program it is $20 or 25 to efile a state return. What you got for free was one state PROGRAM download to prepare returns in that state. THEN each state return including the first one is $20 or $25 to efile, or you can print and mail state for free. People get going too fast at the end to file and click on the wrong button. Then you get hit with the $40 extra charge.

DoninGA

Employee

The pay with the federal refund option is used to pay the TurboTax account fees, not any taxes owed.

If you requested to have the TurboTax account fees deducted from your federal tax refund, the IRS will send the refund to a third party processor to have the fees and the $40 service charge deducted. The third party processor will deduct the TurboTax fees plus the $40 service charge and then attempt to direct deposit the remaining refund balance into the account that you entered on your tax return.

For the status of your tax refund you will need to contact the third party processor, Santa Barbara Tax Product Group, using their website - https://www.sbtpg.com/

Tax Products Group Contact Information - https://help.sbtpg.com/hc/en-us/articles/230084587-Contact-Information

Call 1-877-908-7228

Or email - TPG-CSsupport@greendotcorp.com

gaga542Author

Thank you for your fast reply but there is still a significant issue that you did not address. The customer service number for Santa Barbara is only accepting information about a Walmart cashier check issue.

Secondly, I never asked that my refund pay for taxes due since I have no taxes due. Why are they involved at all?

This is a big issue and I am sure that I am not the only one impacted. How do I speak to a person in either Intuit or Santa Barbara TPG. AI agents are great but this situation where you can't speak to a representative is ridiculous.

mesquitebean

Employee

@ gaga542 wrote:
Logged into IRS and they said that they may need additional information to receive full refund???

If it was an IRS message, then based on that, it sounds like it was the IRS that didn't send the full amount to SBTPG's bank.

By "logged into IRS" are you referring to a message at the IRS refund tool or an Online IRS account? Did the IRS tell you anything else to do in the meantime? Perhaps they are preparing a notice/letter to send you, for which they use postal mail. Whenever they reduce a refund, the IRS usually sends a letter in about 3 weeks. However, if you do have an IRS online account, at one of the tabs in the account you can look to see if there have been any notices/letters sent at this point in time, but it may be too early to see something there.

See DoninGA's response in this thread for info on how SBTPG works to pay your product fees out of the Federal refund.

mesquitebean

Employee

@gaga542

Addendum:

If the IRS reduced your Federal refund, and if you wish to speak to them before receiving a letter, here's how you can phone them.

IRS: 800-829-1040 (7AM-7 PM local time) Monday-Friday

When calling the IRS do not choose the first choice re: "Refund", or it will send you to an automated phone line.

First choose your language. Then listen to each menu before making the selection.
Then press 2 for "personal income tax".
Then press 1 for "form, tax history, or payment".
Then press 3 "for all other questions."
Then press 2 "for all other questions."
It may then ask for your SSN, but do not enter it. Just wait. If it asks for SSN a second time, still do not enter it.
Then it will get "tired", and you'll get another menu. Choose 2 for "personal".
Then in the next menu choose 4 for "all other inquiries", and it should transfer you to an agent but expect a long wait.
I usually use a speakerphone so I can work on something else while waiting.