Who is Santa Barbara Tax Products Group?
Santa Barbara Tax Products Group (sbtpg) is a payment processor that works with the software companies used by tax professionals and online tax preparation applications, to support the collection of tax preparation fees and payment of your tax refund. As a neutral party in the transaction our only goal is to facilitate payment of your refund as quickly and safely as possible.
What happens if my tax refund direct deposit is rejected by my bank?
We attempt to issue your refund via direct deposit exactly as you directed in the preparation of your tax return. If for some reason your bank rejects the deposit and returns the funds to us, we will make a second attempt to issue your refund as a cashier's check.1
In certain cases, your bank may reject your tax refund proceeds with a code that requires us to return your funds to the originator (IRS). Due to laws that govern electronic payments, we cannot refuse to honor the instructions from your bank or intervene on your behalf. In these instances, we are required to return your federal refund to the IRS.
Process if you filed through a tax professional
Your refund will be reissued as a cashier's check, and will be available from your tax professional's office within 3-5 business days of funds being returned to us. Please contact your tax professional to make arrangements to pick up your check and to assure it will be available.
Process if you prepared your own return and filed online
Your refund will be reissued as a cashier's check and mailed to you at the address we have on file for you, within 2-3 business days of funds being returned to sbtpg.2 An attempt will be made to notify you via email that your direct deposit was rejected by your bank and is now being mailed to you.
How long will it take to receive a check mailed by Santa Barbara Tax Products Group?
Cashiers checks typically arrive within 10-12 business days from the day the check is printed. The check may be delayed due to:
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- Invalid address information on the tax return
- Weather conditions impacting mail service
- Federal holidays
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What mail carrier do you use?
All cashier's checks are mailed via United States Postal Service (USPS) first class mail. Expedited mail service and/or tracking information is not currently available.
Can I update my address?
For your security, checks are mailed to the address you provided on your tax return, and your address cannot be updated or changed.
What happens if the check is returned to you?
If the mailed check is returned to us, we will return your tax refund to the IRS or state taxing authority. Processing returned checks and returning checks to the IRS may take 6-8 weeks. It may take additional time for the IRS to update their records to reflect the status of returned refunds.
If the state mailed check is returned to us, we will escheat funds back to the state. For processing time please check with your state on the escheatment time frame.
For additional information or If you want to track the status of your refund please log in to our website.
1 We can not determine why your bank rejected the deposit and returned the funds. For those questions, please contact your depository bank directly.
2 For your security, checks are mailed to the address you provided on your tax return, and your address cannot be updated or changed.