If you have a refund coming, you want the money as soon as you can possibly get it. Here are a few ideas to help you accomplish that.
Companies do not have to issue your tax documents until January 31st. Unfortunately, you cannot force them to do this earlier, and most hold out until the last moment.
On-line tax returns are gaining in popularity and they are one of the fastest ways to file and receive your refund quickly. You can buy the software any place and if you qualify, you can even file for free. Check out the IRS website for more information on on-line filing.
Have your refund direct deposited into your checking or savings account. If you do this in conjunction with on-line filing, you can generally have your refund money in your account in about 3 to 5 days.
You can file your return on-line and have your refund mailed to you. This will cut your waiting time down by about 2 to 3 weeks.
You can get a 24-hour tax refund from many of the big income tax service companies. Just remember that what you are going to get is actually a loan based upon your credit, and that fees, charges, and interest will apply.
Many income tax service businesses are going with the speedy return payments and rebate anticipation loans. Just remember that these are all loans, commonly serviced by a third party bank. If you are not careful, you could lose a lot of your return dollars to tax preparation fees, interest, and charges. Unless you need the money very desperately it is better to wait and get your refund through one of the more standard, free procedures.
The best recommendation for speedy processing and issuing of your refund is through the on-line tax programs in conjunction with direct deposit. If you cannot, for some reason, facilitate direct deposit, you may have a friend or relative provide you with an account number into which you can have the money deposited. Be careful, however, because once the money is in their account it is only their honesty that will get it to you. The better idea for people without a direct deposit option is to file on-line and request that the refund is mailed to you in the form of a check.
Again, remember to be very careful in how you approach expediting your return. The IRS will not send you another check if you get ripped off.