Tax Products Group
Santa Barbara Tax Products Group (sbtpg), a Green Dot subsidiary founded in 1991, operates a tax-refund financial products platform serving U.S. tax preparation professionals and individual taxpayers with Refund Transfers, refund advances, early-refund access, and adjacent workflow services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Tax Products Group does
Santa Barbara Tax Products Group (SBTPG), founded in 1991 and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Green Dot Corporation (NASDAQ: GDOT) since 2014, is a tax-related financial products platform serving two primary customer sets: U.S. tax preparation professionals (EROs, franchises, independent preparers) and the individual taxpayers they serve. The company is headquartered in San Diego, California (with a mailing address in West Chester, Ohio) and employs 1,001-5,000 people. Its core product is the Refund Transfer, a Green Dot Bank deposit product that lets taxpayers pay for tax preparation from their federal or state refund rather than out of pocket; this serves as the gateway through which a layered suite of add-on services is delivered. Built on top of Refund Transfer are: Fast Cash Advance (a $500-$7,000 refund advance loan at 35.99% APR originated by First Century Bank, N.A.), Fast Forward (early federal refund access up to 5 days early for a $25 fee via Green Dot Bank), Auto Collect (past-due fee collection), PreSeason Funds and Simply Paid (cash flow and fee advances for tax professionals, up to $67,800 and $338,800 respectively, via Green Dot Bank), Software Purchase Assistance, Marketing Pro (digital marketing and client management), Tax Debt Resolution (via Community Tax), Credit/Debit Card Processing (via AffiniPay), All-in-One Cybersecurity (via Watch Cloud), and SmartWiz AI Data Entry (via SmartWiz, Inc., at $9 per return). The Yendo vehicle-secured credit card (issued by Cross River Bank) and check-cashing through Walmart, Amscot, and PLS round out the consumer-facing ecosystem.
SBTPG monetizes through a transaction-fee and interest-driven model: Refund Transfer fees to tax professionals, interest income on Fast Cash Advance loans, a $25 per-transaction Fast Forward fee, marketplace referral commissions (e.g., $60 per Yendo cardholder, $150-$350 per Community Tax referral), and interchange/processing fees via AffiniPay. Distribution is structured as a two-sided network: enrolled tax professionals access sbtpg products through 24+ integrated tax software platforms (Intuit Lacerte/ProConnect/ProSeries, Drake, TaxAct Professional, TaxSlayer Pro, CCH ATX, TaxWise, CrossLink, UltimateTax, and others), while end-taxpayers access products through their tax professional's office. Reach is amplified by Green Dot's parent network of approximately 90,000 retail stores, plus direct-to-taxpayer disbursement rails (direct deposit, Green Dot card, cashier's check) and nationwide check-cashing at Walmart, Amscot (Florida), and PLS (multi-state). Marketing is conducted through industry events (IRS Tax Forums, Latino Tax Fest, NATP), email campaigns, a Tax Pro Directory, social media, and promotional contests. The product portfolio targets Low and Moderate Income American families — a positioning consistent with Green Dot's broader strategy — and is built on bank-mediated deposit and credit rails (Green Dot Bank, First Century Bank, Cross River Bank) rather than on proprietary lending infrastructure.
Tax Products Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tax Products Group
- Legal name
- Santa Barbara Tax Products Group LLC
- Website
- https://sbtpg.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Santa Barbara Tax Products Group (sbtpg), a Green Dot subsidiary founded in 1991, operates a tax-refund financial products platform serving U.S. tax preparation professionals and individual taxpayers with Refund Transfers, refund advances, early-refund access, and adjacent workflow services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tax Products Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tax-related Financial Services
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121)
- SIC
- Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153), Functions Related To Depository Banking, Nec (6099)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tax Refund Anticipation Loans (RAL) & Refund Advances (FSAKAOAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Bank Bill Pay (Consumer & Small Business) (FSAMAJAC), Payables & Disbursements (ACH/SEPA, wires, checks, virtual cards) (FSABAIAB)
Keywords
Where Tax Products Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Tax Products Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Refund Transfer Fees: Fees charged to tax professionals for processing refund transfers when taxpayers pay for tax preparation from their refund.
- Fast Cash Advance Interest: Interest income from tax refund advance loans provided by First Century Bank, N.A. Loans range from $500-$7,000 with 35.99% APR.
- Fast Forward Fees: $25 fee charged for early access to federal tax refund up to 5 days early.
- Marketplace Commissions: Referral fees from marketplace partners including Yendo credit card, GO2bank, and Community Tax services.
- Credit/Debit Card Processing: Fees from processing credit and debit card payments for tax professionals through AffiniPay partnership.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Refund Transfer - Pay-by-refund option for taxpayers |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Fast Cash Advance - Tax refund advance loan |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Fast Forward - Early refund access |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Check Cashing at Walmart |
| Subscription | Annual | Yendo Vehicle-Secured Credit Card |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Check Cashing at Amscot |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Check Cashing at PLS |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Tax Products Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Santa Barbara Tax Products Group (sbtpg) provides bank products and financial services that enable U.S. tax preparation professionals and individual taxpayers to pay tax preparation fees from their tax refund, access refund advances before the IRS issues payment, and receive refunds through direct deposit, check, or Green Dot card. The Refund Transfer deposit product (issued by Green Dot Bank) is the foundational offering, augmented by Fast Cash Advance loans (issued by First Century Bank, N.A.), Fast Forward early-access disbursements, and a broad suite of cash flow, marketing, fee collection, AI data entry, and cybersecurity tools for enrolled tax professionals.
Product overview
Santa Barbara Tax Products Group (sbtpg), a Green Dot company founded in 1991, operates a platform-based product portfolio centered on tax-related financial services. The core product is the Refund Transfer (a Green Dot Bank deposit product enabling pay-by-refund for tax preparation fees), which serves as the foundation for multiple add-on products including Fast Cash Advance (refund advance loans from $500-$7,000 via First Century Bank), Fast Forward (up to 5-day early federal refund access via Green Dot Bank), Auto Collect (past-due fee collection), PreSeason Funds and Simply Paid (cash flow/fee advances), and Software Purchase Assistance. Supporting the core platform are complementary add-on services including Marketing Pro (digital marketing and business management), Marketing Materials, Credit and Debit Card Processing (via AffiniPay), Tax Debt Resolution (via Community Tax), All-in-One Cybersecurity (via Watch Cloud), and SmartWiz AI Data Entry (AI-powered automated data entry via SmartWiz, Inc.). The Yendo Credit Card (vehicle-secured card via Yendo/Cross River Bank) and check cashing at Amscot, PLS, and Walmart locations round out the consumer-facing product ecosystem. The company integrates with 24+ tax preparation software providers for enrollment and processing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Fast Cash Advance: Tax refund advance loan product for taxpayers
- Fast Forward
- Refund Transfer
- Auto Collect
- Simply Paid
- PreSeason Funds
- Marketing Pro
- Software Purchase Assistance
- SmartWiz
Quantifiable outcome
- Tax professionals attract average of 37 new clients and retain 35 existing clients with Fast Cash Advance
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Tax Products Group
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Tax Products Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration25 records
AI capability4 records
Feature4 records
Tax Products Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Green Dot CorporationcoreGreen Dot Corporation acquired Santa Barbara Tax Products Group in 2014. SBTPG operates as a Green Dot company, leveraging Green Dot Bank for deposit products (Refund Transfer, Fast Forward) and Green Dot's distribution network of 90,000+ retail stores. Green Dot is focused on serving Low and Moderate Income American families with financial products.
- Community Tax, LLCsupportingCommunity Tax provides tax debt resolution and IRS representation services offered through SBTPG. Tax professionals can earn up to $350 per referral for clients requiring tax debt resolution services.
- Yendo, Inc.supportingYendo offers vehicle-secured credit cards up to $10,000 through SBTPG marketplace. Tax professionals earn $60 referral bonus for each client that becomes an active cardholder.
- Watch CloudsupportingWatch Cloud provides all-in-one cybersecurity solution for tax professionals to comply with IRS Publication 4557 and FTC Safeguards Rule. Protects taxpayer data and tax practice with tools and training resources.
- SmartWiz, Inc.supportingSmartWiz provides AI-powered automated data entry (Wizzy 2.0) that converts client intake forms into review-ready returns. Costs $9 per return for eligible tax pros. Reduces manual data entry time by up to 90%.
- AffiniPay, LLCsupportingAffiniPay provides credit and debit card processing services for tax professionals through CPACharge platform.
- GO2banksupportingGO2bank mobile banking, savings and credit building services featured in SBTPG marketplace. Offers no monthly fees (with direct deposit) and up to $200 overdraft protection.
- AmscotsupportingAmscot locations across Florida cash sbtpg-issued checks up to $25,000 at 1.9% fee. Available all year with many 24-hour locations.
- PLSsupportingPLS stores cash sbtpg-issued checks at low rates. NY: 2.20% fee; other states: 3.99% fee. No limits on check size. Most stores open 24/7.
- WalmartsupportingParticipating Walmart locations cash sbtpg-issued checks for $4 or less up to $1,000 and $8 or less for checks greater than $1,000 (up to $7,500).
- Drake SoftwaresupportingIntegrated tax software provider allowing tax professionals to enroll with SBTPG through their software platform.
- Intuit (Lacerte, ProConnect Tax, ProSeries)supportingIntuit tax software products integrated with SBTPG for enrollment and service delivery.
- TaxAct ProfessionalsupportingTaxAct Professional integrated with SBTPG for tax professional enrollment.
- TaxSlayer ProsupportingTaxSlayer Pro integrated with SBTPG for tax professional enrollment.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Tax Products Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Liberty Tax Service: National tax preparation franchise network that competes for the same EROs and taxpayers that SBTPG serves, often partnering with competing refund advance providers.
- Republic Bank & Trust Company: Direct competitor in the tax refund advance and refund transfer space, partnering with tax preparation franchises and software providers to offer similar Easy Advance and Refund Transfer products.
- Refundo: Direct competitor offering refund transfer and early refund advance products integrated with tax software providers; similar product suite targeting tax professionals and individual taxpayers.
Broad incumbents
- Intuit (TurboTax): Major tax preparation software provider that integrates with SBTPG but also offers its own refund-related products and could insource similar bank products, representing both a key partner and competitive threat.
- H&R Block: Large incumbent tax preparation company offering its own Refund Advance and Emerald Card products, competing directly with SBTPG for taxpayer relationships and tax professional referrals.
- Green Dot Corporation: Parent company providing banking infrastructure, distribution network, and deposit products that power SBTPG's core offerings; the broader Green Dot ecosystem offers competing prepaid debit and banking products to the same LMI consumer segment.
Emerging players
- Drake Software: Tax preparation software provider integrated with SBTPG for refund products; comparable in serving independent tax professionals but focused on software rather than financial products.
- TaxSlayer: Tax preparation software company (TaxSlayer Pro for professionals) integrated with SBTPG, competing for the same tax professional customer base and offering some direct refund-related products.
- Cash App Taxes (Block): Free tax filing offering from Block (formerly Square) that could disrupt SBTPG's taxpayer base by eliminating preparation fees, indirectly threatening the Refund Transfer value proposition.
Others
- AffiniPay: Payment processing partner serving tax professionals with CPACharge platform; overlaps with SBTPG's credit/debit card processing offering and serves the same tax professional segment.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Tax Products Group social profiles
Digital presenceTax Products Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tax Products Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Tax Products Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tax Products Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tax Products Group
What does Tax Products Group do?
Santa Barbara Tax Products Group (sbtpg) provides bank products and financial services that enable U.S. tax preparation professionals and individual taxpayers to pay tax preparation fees from their tax refund, access refund advances before the IRS issues payment, and receive refunds through direct deposit, check, or Green Dot card. The Refund Transfer deposit product (issued by Green Dot Bank) is the foundational offering, augmented by Fast Cash Advance loans (issued by First Century Bank, N.A.), Fast Forward early-access disbursements, and a broad suite of cash flow, marketing, fee collection, AI data entry, and cybersecurity tools for enrolled tax professionals.
Is Tax Products Group a public or private company?
Tax Products Group is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Tax Products Group founded?
Tax Products Group was founded in 1991. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Tax Products Group based?
Tax Products Group is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tax Products Group make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Refund Transfer Fees are the primary driver. The others are fast Cash Advance Interest, fast Forward Fees, marketplace Commissions and credit/Debit Card Processing.
Who are Tax Products Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Liberty Tax Service, Republic Bank & Trust Company and Refundo. Broad incumbents are Intuit (TurboTax), H&R Block and Green Dot Corporation. Emerging players are Drake Software, TaxSlayer and Cash App Taxes (Block). AffiniPay is listed as an others.
Does Tax Products Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tax Products Group.
What industry is Tax Products Group in?
Tax Products Group's product category is Tax-related Financial Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKAOAG, Tax Refund Anticipation Loans (RAL) & Refund Advances, with a secondary code of FSAMAJAC, Bank Bill Pay (Consumer & Small Business). Its NAICS code is 52232 and its SIC code is 6153.