“Make it make sense. Because this is not making sense.”
BAYTOWN, Texas — A Baytown woman says her nearly $9,500 federal tax refund was deposited into an unknown person’s bank account after filing with a San Antonio-based tax preparer, and she has spent weeks getting conflicting answers from the company and the bank it works with.
Financially, 2025 was a rough year for Shara Willhoite, but with a $9,439.10 tax return expected, she felt some relief.
“I was behind on my car notes. I was about to get my car repossessed because I have been out of work for a while,” she said.
But that relief was short lived when she learned that refund was deposited somewhere, just not in her bank account.
Her tax preparer, she says, at San Antonio-based N&E Tax Services won’t take responsibility.
“They’re blaming the bank. They said it’s no fault of their own.”
Willhoite shared documents with KHOU 11. She says they show, her deposit should have gone into the bank Refund Advantage powered by Pathward. And from there to her bank.
“Last year I filed my taxes with them and they asked me, OK we have your information on file. Do you want it to go in the same bank account as last year? And I said yes.”
But she says using a TRACE number issued with the refund, she learned the $9,439.10 instead went into an unknown person’s account, at a bank she had no affiliation with. That bank claimed it couldn’t share that account information with her for privacy reasons.
“Make it make sense because this is not making sense. The math ain’t mathing.”
Over, the past several weeks – KHOU 11 has reached out to N&E Tax services multiple times but we haven’t yet received a response.
It is our policy not to discuss the details of specific customer accounts for privacy and security reasons, but we can confirm that we are actively investigating the matter. The results of our investigation will be communicated directly to the customer.
“They said at this point I have to take legal action. I don’t have the money to take legal action. I’m about to get my car repossessed.”
The IRS says once a TRACE is initiated, banks have up to 90 days to respond, but it could take up to 120 days for a resolution.
While Willhoite waits her desire to get her money is clear.
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