Can you pay for SmartWiz with Santa Barbara TPG (SBTPG) bank products? Yes. Many tax offices pay the 20% deposit, use their prepaid returns, then have SmartWiz send weekly invoices to TPG as refunds fund. After the deposit, nothing more comes out of pocket—the cost comes from your prep fees as clients get funded through bank products.
How paying through TPG bank products works
When you choose to pay through bank products, here is the flow:
- Pay the 20% deposit by card at signup. The deposit is paid by card only for now. This reserves your SmartWiz plan and gives you 20% of your returns as prepaid credits. For example, on the 50-return plan, you prepay 10 returns.
- Use your prepaid returns first. SmartWiz bills only after your 20% prepaid credits are fully used. Nothing more is charged until you finish those prepaid returns.
- SmartWiz sends weekly usage invoices to TPG. After you use up the prepaid returns, SmartWiz sends weekly invoices to Santa Barbara TPG showing your usage. The invoices go directly to TPG, not to your card.
- TPG pays SmartWiz from your prep fees as refunds fund. TPG withholds the SmartWiz charge from your tax preparation fees as refunds fund and pays SmartWiz. The charge sits until TPG can collect from the refund.
- TPG shows the deduction in your fee report. Your TPG fee report includes a SmartWiz section showing what was deducted for SmartWiz usage. You can see each deduction in the report TPG provides.
After the 20% deposit, you do not pay out of pocket again—SmartWiz collects from your prep fees through TPG as clients get funded. Many preparers add a line item to their own prep fee to cover the SmartWiz cost, so the expense passes through to the client rather than coming from the office margin.
Per-return pricing with TPG bank products
SmartWiz per-return pricing is the same whether you pay by card or through TPG bank products. Pricing is based on your return volume:
- 50–99 returns: $20 per return
- 100–199 returns: $18 per return
- 200–999 returns: $16 per return
- 1,000–2,499 returns: $14 per return
- 2,500+ returns: custom pricing
You can also pay in full at signup and save 10%. Live pricing with volume calculator at smartwiz.ai/pricing
Setup: connect SmartWiz to your TPG account
Setting up payment through TPG bank products takes a few steps during signup:
- Select "pay by refund" in Wizzy when you sign up.
- Choose Santa Barbara TPG (SBTPG) as your bank product provider.
- Enter your EFIN so SmartWiz can verify your TPG account.
- SmartWiz verifies with TPG that you run bank products.
Setup is done once, during signup. After that, SmartWiz sends invoices directly to TPG, and TPG withholds from your prep fees as refunds fund.
What happens when a refund does not fund
If a balance cannot be collected from a refund, it rolls forward. If the balance still cannot be collected after a few weeks, the account loses access to SmartWiz. Eligibility and approval for bank products are determined by Santa Barbara TPG, not by SmartWiz. SmartWiz does not guarantee refund timing, approval, or amounts.
FAQ
Can I pay for SmartWiz with Santa Barbara TPG (SBTPG) bank products?
Yes. Many tax offices pay the 20% deposit, use their prepaid returns, then have SmartWiz send weekly invoices to TPG as refunds fund. After the deposit, the cost comes from your prep fees as clients get funded through bank products—nothing more comes out of pocket.
How does paying through TPG work?
You pay a 20% deposit by card at signup. SmartWiz bills only after you use those prepaid returns. After that, SmartWiz sends weekly usage invoices to TPG, which pays SmartWiz from your tax prep fees as refunds fund. The charge sits until TPG can collect from the refund.
Do I pay anything upfront?
Yes. You pay a 20% deposit by card at signup. For example, on the 50-return plan, the deposit is $200 and gives you 10 prepaid returns. After you use those returns, SmartWiz bills TPG instead of your card.
Does it cost more to pay through TPG bank products?
No. SmartWiz per-return pricing is the same whether you pay by card or through TPG bank products. 50–99 returns: $20 each. 100–199: $18. 200–999: $16. 1,000–2,499: $14. 2,500+: custom. Details at smartwiz.ai/pricing
What if a refund does not fund?
If a balance cannot be collected, it rolls forward. If it still cannot be collected after a few weeks, the account loses access to SmartWiz. Eligibility and approval for bank products are determined by TPG, not by SmartWiz.
Does this work with my tax software?
Yes. SmartWiz works with Santa Barbara TPG bank products regardless of your tax software. SmartWiz supports TaxSlayer Pro Web, Drake, and OLT Pro. The bank product payment method is separate from your tax software choice.
Can TPG collect for returns that did not use a bank product?
Yes. SmartWiz sends the total weekly invoice to TPG. TPG collects the full invoice from your prep fees, regardless of whether each individual return used a bank product. Many preparers add a line item to their prep fee to cover the SmartWiz cost.
Where do I see what TPG deducted for SmartWiz?
Your TPG fee report includes a SmartWiz section showing what was deducted for SmartWiz usage. You can see each deduction in the report TPG provides.
See how it works with your office: book a demo at smartwiz.ai/demo.