A MOTHER of three was left struggling to pay bills after she used a third-party website to file a tax refund.

Amy Seeger from Milwaukee was due thousands of dollars for a 2020 tax refund.

Despite being told her refund had been completed, Seeger did not have her money.

Individuals who file directly with the IRS should get their refund sent to them by direct deposit.

However, Seeger went via a third party to file her claim and this is where her troubles began.

She reportedly used Free Tax USA, a tax filing program, and her refund ended up at a bank called Santa Barbara Tax Products Group (TPG), according to Fox News affiliate WITI.

This is where her tax preparation fee would be deducted before the rest of the funds were sent to Seeger.

However, she claimed she never saw the $8,200 that she was due.

According to Fox News affiliate WITI, its Connect 6 team investigated the issue last year and found that TPG had an F rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

According to the BBB website, the company now has over 1,800 complaints and is currently rated B-.

“I have three kids. With back-to-school supplies, gas, inflation, life in general, it’s a lot of money to be waiting on for a year and a half,” Seeger told Contact 6.

She explained that she spent hours on hold with the IRS and kept being disconnected without speaking to anyone.

Seeger added that it was a “nightmare” trying to talk to anyone at TPG.

Greendot which owns TPG told the news outlet that TPG “works with thousands of tax preparation firms across the US.”

It added that in the previous tax season, it had sent refunds totaling around $13 million to taxpayers.

“Higher than normal call volumes this tax season…resulted in some taxpayers waiting longer than normal to receive support,” Greendot said.

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It added that “the refund is typically available in the taxpayer’s bank account as quickly as if the IRS distributed it directly to them.”

After the news outlet became involved in the situation, Seeger was given her money.

“You guys really saved us. The woman [from TPG] then was great,” she said.

“Knew everything. Knew exactly where my money was.”

The money had reportedly been sent to an old bank account and TPG then mailed a check which never arrived but she finally got the $8,220 that she was owed.

“Now I can get school supplies and I can pay some bills that we are behind on,” she said.

While Seeger eventually got her money back, a tax expert has advised never to use third parties.

Jason Rose, owner of Acc-u-Rite Tax Service in Milwaukee told the news outlet: “Why add a middle person in the mix?”

He explained that “the ‘free’ is rarely ever free,” and that back-end costs can be higher than if taxpayers pay upfront and it can also mean that people have to wait longer before they see their money.

“Depending on the cost, maybe it’s worth it. Maybe you don’t have the money to be able to do a tax return at the moment,” he added.

The IRS agreed with Rose, telling the news outlet that “it does not control bank, debit, credit card or other financial services companies that may offer services to taxpayers…we do not endorse nor control outside vendors or service providers.”

The IRS “recommends that taxpayers do their research and choose wisely when deciding on a tax preparer…”

Meanwhile, Robert Tayler, director of FreeTaxUSA customer support explained that it is “concerned” when customers have a negative experience with the company.

He added: “TPG, a subsidiary of Green Dot Corporation, is the banking partner that we use to provide this service via TPG’s Refund Transfer offering.

“The vast majority of those that use this product are very happy. 

“Once the IRS processes a taxpayer’s return, TPG receives the funds from the IRS, subtracts the amount owed to FreeTaxUSA, and forwards the remaining balance to the taxpayer.”

The U.S. Sun has contacted Greendot and Free Tax USA for comment.