Americans report unexpected tax refund deposits not from IRS

Many Americans are noticing unexpected deposits that are not from the IRS. This is often due to using third-party tax software, which may involve fees deducted from their tax refunds by the Santa Barbara Tax Products Group (SBTPG). SBTPG acts as a middleman, receiving the IRS funds first, taking out their fees, and then sending the remaining amount to taxpayers. This can lead to lower refunds than expected. To avoid these deductions, taxpayers can either not use SBTPG or pay their tax preparation fees upfront. They can also track their refunds using the IRS online tool, "Where’s My Refund?"