If you have partnered with Santa Barbara TPG, you can now offer Fast Forward by SBTPG^TM to eligible taxpayers. If they opt-in to the Fast Forward program, taxpayers can receive their federal refund up to 5 days earlier than standard funding. There is an additional $25.00 Fast Forward Fee for this service (the fee is deducted from the taxpayer’s refund during processing).

For more information about the product, see:

• SBTPG Product Page

• SBTPG Help Article

Eligibility Requirements

Taxpayers can opt-in to Fast Forward if they are using a Refund Transfer (RT) or Advance (Fast Cash Advance). Fast Forward is only available if all the following are true:

• The return includes an expected federal refund of less than $10,000.

  • As shown on Form 1040, line 34.

• The taxpayer’s disbursement method is Direct Deposit or Check Print.

  • For Direct Deposit, the taxpayer’s routing number (RTN) must appear on the official Fast Forward RTN Participation List (maintained by SBTPG).

  • For Check Print, the firm’s setup must use Tax Office Check Print or Bank Check Print.

Taxpayers cannot opt-in to Fast Forward if any of the following are true:

• The expected federal refund amount is greater than $10,000.

• The chosen disbursement method is a prepaid card.

• The chosen disbursement method is a debit card.

• A Pre-Ack product has been selected.

Data Entry

If the taxpayer wants to opt-in, check the box Fast Forward on the SB screen. A pop-up message explains the Fast Forward program. After you click OK on the pop-up, the customer is opted in, and the $25.00 Fast Forward Fee is added to the return (review the banking documents for details).

EF Messages

Users will see one of the following when Fast Forward is selected, but the return is not eligible for Fast Forward

EF Message 4345

Fast Forward cannot be selected on screen SB when the federal refund on line 34 of Form 1040 is $10,000 or greater. Return to the SB screen and deselect Fast Forward.

EF Message 4346

The Fast Forward option isn’t available for the bank routing number entered. Return to the SB screen and enter a valid TPG-approved routing number from the participation list in the Taxpayer’s RTN field.

EF Message 4347

The Fast Forward option requires either Direct Deposit or Check Print for the disbursement method. Return to the SB screen and select a valid disbursement method before checking Fast Forward.

EF Message 4348

Fast Forward is not available when Web Check Print is selected under Setup > Firms > Banking tab. Return to the SB screen and deselect Fast Forward.

EF Message 4349

The Fast Forward option cannot be selected when a Pre-Ack product is present. Return to the SB screen and either remove the Pre-Ack product or deselect Fast Forward