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You filed all of your forms and to your joy you’re getting back a tax refund.  And it’s a nice sized one too!
Getting a lump sum payout after filing your taxes feels great.  But I’m going to show you that it may not be as great as you think.  There are better ways you can use your money (and it is your money).
Read On as I Tell You 5 Reasons a Large Tax Refund is Bad.
1) Your large income tax refund is an interest-free loan to the government
When you get back a large refund it means the government was able to hold on to your money over the past year to do with as they wanted.
And what do you get in return for allowing them to hold your money?
You get your money back.  That’s it.  It was a free loan.
Know what happens if you owe the government money for a year?
Penalties and interest tacked onto what you owe.  Even a low-interest savings account gives you something back.  So why loan your money out for nothing?!?
As defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, inflation is “a process of continuously rising prices, or equivalently, of a continuously falling value of money.”
What this means is a dollar today will be worth less than a dollar a year from now.  There’s a neat little inflation calculator on the BLS site.  Plugging in $1000 for 2012 I see this has the same buying power as $1014.65 in 2013.  This means I need $14.65 more in 2013 to buy what I did in 2012.
Let’s look at this another way.
If you get a $1000 tax refund for the previous year it’s really only worth about $985!  By letting the government hold your money you’ve lost $15 in spending power!  That doesn’t seem like a good deal.
3) You May Be Inclined to Spend Your Large Tax Refund
I hear so many people say something along the lines of “I can’t wait until I get my tax refund so I can buy…”
Getting a big chunk of change at once can give someone big eyes to go spending.  If you have the money broken out in smaller pieces in your paycheck rather than one lump sum you may be less inclined to spend it all on a big purchase.
According to a survey by Capital One, more than a third of Americans plan to spend all or part of their tax refund.  Mint.com reports that the average refund comes out to about $2,800.
So many people plan out purchases based on their tax refunds.
While it’s not a terrible thing I really think creating an automated savings plan is a far better plan, especially when your refund varies from year-to-year.  And odds are the new money isn’t being put to savings.  It’s probably going to a big purchase or to cover bills from the prior holidays.
This is a simple one.
The money is yours. Why wait for it?
Look, if you like lending money out in small pieces just to have it handed back to you in one lump sum at a later point then contact me and I’ll hold it for you!  Really.  I’d love to have your money growing in my accounts.  I’ll give you back what you gave me.
5) You Need the Money In Your Paycheck
I get using your tax refund as a type of savings vehicle.  I do.  My wife and I do a little snoopy dance when we get a nice refund (our income had been variable the past few years so it’s been hard to adjust our W-4’s for a low refund).
But some people need that money in their paychecks!
If you’re struggling to make ends meet, robbing Peter to pay Paul all year, then a little extra in your paycheck could go a long way to helping with bills and reduce stress.  I don’t get struggling paycheck-to-paycheck when you have the power to make that better.
So what to do about a large tax refund?
The goal should be to get as close to zero as possible on your tax return (you don’t owe taxes and the IRS doesn’t owe you a refund).
Change the withholding on your W-4 form so that you can get more in your paycheck rather than pay out more taxes every pay period and get a large refund next year.
If you have questions about your W-4, and your taxes in general, then it’s not a bad idea to consult a tax professional and discuss how you can maximize your money.
Do you usually get a large tax refund?
Recommended Tax Preparation Software: TurboTax | H&R Block
Filed Under: Taxes Tagged With: Money, planning, Tax Refund, Taxes, Tips
Glen Craig is married and the father to four children that he spends the day chasing as a stay-at-home-dad. He took an interest in personal finance when he realized most of his paycheck was going toward credit card bills. Since then he's eliminated his credit card debt and started on a journey towards financial freedom.
March 20, 2008 at 4:10 am
Tell me about it! We got a huge tax return and where expecting to OWE! So, we basically lost money by lending it to the government, if only we had known…
We also changed the withholding in my hubby’s paycheck, that will take effect this week, I am excited to see how much a difference it makes. 3k a year extra sure would be nice!
February 12, 2014 at 1:19 pm
I make less than 1% in a savings account so big deal getting it on each paycheck.
Also, most people have a marginal propensity to SPEND! If they get larger checks, most people will SPEND the extra money, NOT save it!
MOST. People, not the few like you.
March 20, 2008 at 1:38 pm
I feel guilty you did all the work for me on my post at my Word press blog.But before I celebrate to much I Just got done busting my fanny on my original blog. Thanks for a great and timely post.
March 21, 2008 at 2:42 am
Depends on what qualifies as a “large” tax refund, my tax refund was about 2 percent of my earned income after deductions and taxes.
I don’t mind paying taxes, I rather be able to invest in our country and make it grow. What I do mind is the sloppy way our country manages our budget.
February 8, 2017 at 10:31 pm
I’m not actually contributing to the conversation at all, but I just wanted to say that I wish I could like or upvote your comment a million times.
Free From Broke says
March 24, 2008 at 3:29 pm
@ LJ – Good luck on your withholding. I hope it’s a nice amount!
@ Mark – Thanks for the kind words and the link.
@ LocoMono – I guess it’s all relative. Still, if it’s my money then I want it.
We all have to pay taxes. I agree with you on the budget though. That’s another good reason to make sure you get your money now rather than later. Why loan extra to the gov’t if you’re not happy with how they handle it?
March 26, 2008 at 6:23 am
I had a rather interesting return in 2007, I had just started a new job working customer service, mostly base pay, but a part was incentives and commission, so I ended up with a fairly large refund because of the 40% tax on commission.
March 26, 2008 at 3:53 pm
@ Troy – It’s gotta be tough figuring out what to withhold as your salary probably changes. An accountant may be able to help you adjust your withholding so you could see more money in your paychecks.
March 27, 2008 at 12:52 am
The past couple of years we had actually ended up having to pay around 1000-1200$ because we hadn’t figured out the right withholding after my wife got a job. After adjusting it this past year, we ended up getting a small refund. I’ll take a small refund over a big tax bill any day.
March 31, 2008 at 4:54 pm
@ Peter – I hear you, no one likes to pay. But at least you weren’t loaning it out for free. I think a small refund is right where I’d like to be too.
April 2, 2008 at 12:33 pm
We got a fairly large refund, but I’m about 99% certain that the reason for that is the sales tax deduction. We claimed the sales tax on the vehicle we bought last summer and got ALL of it back (never mind that we are still paying the bank for it). However, we did something good and put that big refund towards debt.
April 4, 2008 at 6:52 pm
@ JMDay – Nice job putting the refund towards debt!
January 25, 2011 at 8:55 pm
This is all screwed up. There is no way someone should get back more that they paid in fed taxes. I am single with a decent paying job. I usually get $110 or less in returns and usually owe state. I know people who make like $18000 a year, barely pay $2000 in taxes and get $7000 refunds. This person is going to buy car. So the govt is buying her a car.
My ex by the time she claimed my 2 kids, collected child support every month add up is almost what i make yearly.
I have no problem with the govt paying welfare, food stamps, housing, and electric bills for the poor. But these people do not deserve these large tax returns.No one should get more back that they paid in.
To be blunt i need my $ to help my kids go to college. If i had these types of return i could have sent my kids to private school. I am tired of paying for other peoples poor choices.
January 29, 2012 at 11:40 am
Do you really think people can live off of a mere 18000 a year? My husband worked at a very physically demanding job for an annual salary of 18000, (15,000 after taxes and whatnot). He injured his back and lost his job in December for calling off for some doctor’s appointments because of the strict point system his employer had. I cannot work because I unfortunately suffered a lumbo sacral plexopathy injury rendering me unable to drive. (My disability case is still pending so no income from myself.) Doctors won’t sign a medical release because of inconsistencies and weakness in my legs. We have two children to support and pay over 500 a month rent and pay our own utilities. We do collect food stamps. Unemployment claim still processing after over a month (can take up to 8 weeks). When it does process, he will only be receiving 250 a week before taxes are taken out of the check. He has been searching diligently for any type of employment. Also, the truck we were using is basically shot and would cost the same to get ready for inspections, which were due this month, as it would for us to get another vehicle. If it weren’t for the EIC and additional child credit, my family would be utterly and completely screwed. My tax refund will allow us to get a cheap, reliable, family car; allow us to pay some overdue bills; get some oil for our house; (and possibly get a dental surgery I have been needing for 6 months that I couldn’t afford because the cost is 550 after insurance). The tax credits are for people who do not make enough to make ends meet. If the credits were as unfair as you are assuming they are, they government wouldn’t have them. Even if you add together the food stamps we receive, the Liheap funds, our wages, and our tax return, the total we live off of in a year is still well under 30k for a 4 person family. We’re not going to be living in the lap of luxury because of our return, just be able to breathe a little easier.
February 12, 2012 at 9:01 pm
I do live off of $18,000 a year, but 5 months of that year I did not have to pay rent. I moved home with my parents after graduating college with a BS in Architecture. I worked at a clothing retail store those 5 months then found a job in Sales at a small start up company where I make $31,000 a year. So I was able to manage most of my money this year after paying $3,600 of that to student loan interest. I even have a 45-minute commute on the bus to work to save money on rent. (My work is located in a very high rent university town). It’s difficult but it can be done. Best Wishes to you.
I'm tired of working to support you says
March 10, 2016 at 1:05 am
You should have gone to school. I’m tired of getting taxed so much to support people like you.
February 24, 2014 at 9:46 pm
You can’t get a larger refund than what you paid in. It doesn’t happen.
April 5, 2014 at 5:15 pm
Yes you can have a negative effective tax rate meaning you can get back more then you paid in federal income tax withholding. One cannot DEDUCT more then their federal income tax withholding for the year but because of the many CREDITS one can qualify for someone can receive a refund that is larger then what they paid in fed income taxes thus giving you a negative effective tax rate %.
January 28, 2015 at 1:18 pm
yes you can if you are a single mother with 3 children I paid in 3500 in taxes and I am getting aback 9900 so yes I do like the big refunds at end year !
I'm tired of working to support you says
March 10, 2016 at 1:08 am
I bet you do. And YOU probably make 18k a Year
April 24, 2016 at 11:00 am
January 30, 2017 at 5:55 pm
It was your choice to have three kids. Why do we as tax payers need to pay in for your refund when some of us can hardly pay for our own bills and yours too.
October 20, 2019 at 4:06 pm
Typical freebies, I chose not to have kids yet you spread your legs n get paid
January 21, 2015 at 9:45 pm
Plus the EIC is just a subsidy for minimum wage. The real people benefiting are major corporations who don’t have to pay their workers enough to live on.
February 23, 2011 at 3:39 pm
I just wrote about the same thing on my blog! I knew I should’ve googled to find this article first! Great points. I could NOT agree with you more.
January 19, 2012 at 7:40 pm
Those that get a big refund get it because our country takes care of the poor and makes us pay, so they can live a good life like those of us that actually work and get almost nothing as a Refund. Those that earn more should get back a big refund, but it’s not going to happen as long as we have lazy low income people living in this country.
January 19, 2012 at 8:04 pm
I think we’re talking different things here Jose. I’m referring to people who have more withholding in their checks than they need to and end up getting big refunds.
January 29, 2012 at 11:49 am
Considering I worked up until the point of becoming disabled, how am I lazy? I have straight A’s in my college courses so I can hopefully someday find a way to earn an income.
Also, how the hell is my husband lazy? He worked his ass off for shitty wages because it was the only job he could find. Times are tough.
Instead of complaining about other people receiving the help to better take care of their families, maybe you should be more grateful that you can earn decent wages. Or better yet, maybe you should learn to be grateful that you CAN drive and you CAN work. I am not that fortunate and have cried after each and every doctor’s appointment when I get reevaluated to work or drive that my normal doctor and neurologist deny me the opportunity. According to you that makes me a lazy low income person living off the government?
I'm tired of working to support you says
March 10, 2016 at 1:11 am
That is the truth.
I'm tired of working to support you says
March 10, 2016 at 1:09 am
Amen! YOU hit IT on the spot.
January 30, 2012 at 12:13 pm
People earn a low income and have many children because our Government rewards them like they do to the illegals that live in this country. We pay for all of their benefits and we get ( part ) only what we pay, and nothing more. So, is this fair to those tax payers that get a low sum, while others get much more and don’t pay a penny of their money on taxes.
January 30, 2012 at 12:23 pm
Eliminate the EIC. Those that qualify for the EIC get back a Big Refund and it should be the other way around. If I want a Big Refund I would have to ask my employer to withdraw twice for withholding taxes to give to me back a Bigger Refund.
February 3, 2016 at 6:17 am
You have no idea what you are talking about and you need to educate yourself before you speak
December 27, 2016 at 7:55 am
I agree… You don’t know what Its like to be in our shoes. So I agree ed.
February 27, 2012 at 9:55 pm
I’m sure most of you who write here are those that DON’T HAVE A FAMILY..those who do get big refunds are those that don’t make enough for their families without any government support. We get a lump sum back but that’s only so little. Trust me we are NOT getting rich off of it. It helps..thats it.
February 11, 2015 at 9:40 pm
No kiddin your not getting rich, but it helps when my money goes towards my family instead of nonesense. No I don’t have kids, but I do have a mother who was laid off of work. So if I could give her my $160 a month I’m sure she would appreciate it just as much as you. Not to mention my grandparents don’t have insurance. My grandfather turned 65 last year so he made the age limit for Medicare or w/e it is. On the other hand my grandmother is 62 years young so she has awhile to go. She just had a root canal procedure done, IDK how much the surgery was but I do know my $1300 that I gave the MEDICAR box on my tax form didn’t help pay for it. So if the mouth/tooth was that big of a deal then you would have the surgery done too, KNS. Check out the math I did below with a comment from earlier. I know not everyone receives $3,300 a child and the amounts will change yearly (probably up),
yes you can if you are a single mother with 3 children I paid in 3500 in taxes and I am getting aback 9900 so yes I do like the big refunds at end year !”
9,900 x 18 (years)= $178,200
I’m not a math person or anything but if we turn the tables and think like the Original Poster of this Blog then we could take that refund check and put it in a college savings account or some type of account for the child. Let’s hope it has good interest rates but for now we’ll consider the rates in this blog. IDK if this is right or not but
$178,200 / .985 (1.5%) = $180,913
Not that much different but that’s a low rate.
May 14, 2012 at 10:17 pm
I don’t exactly understand how taxes work. All I know, is I file EXEMPT, which means they do not take ANY federal taxes out of my check. I generally only make 6-7K a year so I used to NOT file taxes. I didn’t file taxes for NINE years, why? Because I didn’t have to and I knew I had not paid into it.
Now this last year, I caught up, filed all nine years at once. So last years taxes, my W2 says I paid $1 into Federal Taxes last year. So I thought I would get a buck back. I was wrong, thought I would be getting like $137 for some reason, I am single able-bodied male, so why would I get a refund?? Nope I was wrong. Our Uncle Sam sent me a check for just shy of a thousand bucks!
Can someone explain how the heck that works?? Now this year, I am working as an independent contractor. I am getting concerend cause I have read that they want me to send in roughly 27% of checks into the Gov’t. I also read since this will be the first year I will be filing a 1090 or whatever that thing is called, I do not need to concern myself with quarterly payments, but something tells me I SHOULD, and just mail money in and get it back at the end of the year. What’s your take on this?
February 4, 2013 at 10:04 am
Wow, the point about inflation is great…and one that I haven’t thought of! I don’t like the idea of getting an interest-free loan, but when you couple that with the fact you’re losing 3%, that makes getting a big tax refund even worse than before!
A few years ago we got a HUGE tax refund and I’ve been working to scale things back since by adjusting our payroll deductions. This year was different for us as I was 1099 for all of my income, so we’ll have a large tax bill to pay as I didn’t pay quarterly estimates.
February 4, 2013 at 11:44 am
I place a lot less of a priority on this compared to other personal finance changes you can make which would increase your net worth. Five years ago when interest rates on savings accounts were 5-6%, then yes, it was an awful idea to give the government that loan, when you could make $100 or more in interest by adjusting your rates and ‘keeping’ your refund. With rates now less than 1%, that amount is probably $10 per year, which at a certain point becomes less ‘worth it’. Many people will take the extra money in a paycheck and spend some or all of it. If you spend even $10 throughout the year, you’re suddenly actually further behind than if you’d just taken the refund.
Also, for people who can take a big refund and make a big dent in a debt, that can give a pretty big ‘rush’ that you might not get even if you apply those payments throughout the year.
February 4, 2013 at 10:05 pm
For sure there are arguments to not worry too much and take the big refund. Used well a refund can go a long ways to know out debt. But if your debt is credit card debt where your interest compounds against you then you are better off attacking that as soon as possible.
Also imagine the struggling family in a tough economy where every little bit helps.
As for your argument that the extra money in the paycheck could be spent, well the same can be said of a refund. One can easily take their refund and go out and spend more that when the total is.
I’d rather see someone taking control of all of their finances and know where their money is and how it’s working for them.
February 4, 2013 at 7:50 pm
I totally agree! I try to adjust my withholding to keep my refund as small as I can. I want my money during the year so I can put it to work.
February 4, 2013 at 10:07 pm
February 4, 2013 at 11:00 pm
Taxes are a doozie, that’s for sure. I know a family that has about 11 kids, and their tax return is upwards of 5 to 7 thousand dollars. With 11 dependents, I don’t think that they would be paying out much for federal tax, but somehow they have a huge refund. Maybe I will mention this article to them, they might be in need of a W-4 tune up.
William @ Drop Dead Money says
February 6, 2013 at 11:58 am
We usually get a large refund, on purpose. The amount of interest we forgo is a pittance these days, so that’s not a factor. Payroll taxes are always withheld at “single, zero” – the maximum.
Reason why it works so well for us is the “out of sight, out of mind” thing. Net pay is net pay, and you find a way to live within it. Granted, we can direct deposit into our savings account, and we’ve always done that for the car replacement fund and other savings, too. It may sound crazy, but to us it’s a good thing that the IRA savings account cannot be gotten to under any circumstances. Kind of a mental discipline thing – you can’t play games with yourself that you’ll make it up next month, kind of thing.
Whenever we need to do something like paint the house, we tell ourselves o wait for the refund. When we get it, we have what approximates a corporation’s annual capex budgeting meeting: we line up everything that needs fixing/replacing/whatever, and then decide what, if anything, we’ll take the jump on. And there’s always a portion that ends up in the emergency fund. It’s a different kind of savings plan and it works.
And it gives us a terrific incentive to not procrastinate and get them taxes file ASAP. (Hey, I never claimed to be totally sane…)
So, while the logic of your argument is sound, there are instances where someone’s (illogical) mind actually makes very good use of doing the large refund thing…
February 7, 2013 at 9:24 am
Sounds like a large refund works for you, I respect that. I’d still rather have control of the money when I made it though. Glad to hear you put the money to good use.
February 10, 2013 at 9:23 pm
My employer always used to encourage me to claim more on my w4 so withholding would be less and i would not be giving the government a free loan. The problem is, if you dont have the withholding correct, you will end up owing money to the government come tax time. Most Americans can't afford to write a check to the government, even if its few hundred dollars. Tax time comes shortly after Christmas time when people have big bills to pay. Adding another bill for taxes is something most people can not do. Peace of mind by having a few extra dollars taken out each week is something most people would rather have, as opposed to a bill at the end of the year. I personally would never claim “0” on my w4 but somewhere in the middle is comfortable for most people
February 12, 2013 at 6:24 pm
You certainly don’t want them to take nothing out. But there are useful calculators out there that can help you get close to zero.
March 13, 2013 at 4:44 am
I am 1000% in agreement with William (2/6/2013 comment). (And perhaps since I’m the kind of person that would use an expression like 1000%, that might help to show why the hard-to-fathom logic of giving free loans to the gov’ment works for me.) Here’s how it goes in my life: there are a lot, a lot, a lot of people around me that want stuff and actually in many cases need stuff. If I’m having a better week/month than usual and there’s some leeway in my finances, this money has a habit of disappearing just as quickly out of my account as on the leaner weeks/months. And, ok, maybe I have trouble saving myself. So, this out-of-sight, out-of-mind, I gave it to the gov’ment and they ain’t givin’ it back until March/April works REALLY well for me. I have my withholding tuned way out of correct proportion such that well over $10,000 of money that should be jangling in my pocket throughout the year is actually loaned for free to our wonderful country led by our fine leader(s). Just like William above, this turns out to have many beneficial effects in my life. (1) I literally leap ahead of the pack in my desire to get my taxes filed ASAP, rather than waiting ’til mid April or even filing for an extension. Spring is a wonderful time of year rather than a dreaded time. (2) I can actually plan for major things to get done in Spring. Stuff failing right and left around the house? Everybody be patient, Dad’s gonna fix ALL of it in Spring and maybe buy some major thing that would otherwise feel out of reach. I’ve even tried a new thing lately, which is I immediately lock up some of the money in a CD that matures right at the onset of the “Holiday Season” when I need it most. Ok, so what is the downside? It’s not sitting in an interest-bearing account? LIke (a) it would really sit there and (b) what interest? .0003%? My money isn’t worth as much due to Inflation? Inflation isn’t really all that bad these days and for me it’s worth it to pay that penalty to get all the bennies that work for me. I also use a 401K plan in a similar fashion: it’s taken away from me before anyone else can, to be given back to me when maybe all the current reality will be tamped down a bit. Having said all this, I do realize the advice given in the article is the appropriate advice for most people and is echoed by financial planners and analysts everywhere.
July 5, 2013 at 11:36 pm
I’m claiming 1 more every year on my w4s. I use to claim 0 then 1 now 2 and next year I will do 3. I think it’s perfect to owe a grand to the IRS. It just means you borrowed there money free to invest haha. I will kick them where it hurts ;).
February 17, 2014 at 6:22 am
Very informative post! Thanks for sharing this to us.
Mel @ brokeGIRLrich says
February 17, 2014 at 1:09 pm
I’ve always got large tax refunds before and this was the first year I actually wound up owing $61. I was excited to pad my emergency fund with the refund, but I guess that won’t be happening. I was so irritated, but I keep trying to remind myself of what you wrote. I do wish I could manage to get the amount being withheld so that I’d get a refund large enough to actually pay for the cost of filing my taxes.
February 25, 2014 at 8:26 am
Mel, if you want to cover the cost of paying to prepare your taxes here’s what you can do — take the amount it costs and divide that by 12. Now set up an automatic transfer to a savings account every month. Now you have your money. I find this is easy to do with an online savings account since many allow you to make additional accounts or accounts.
January 22, 2015 at 10:03 am
This really rings true for me. I hate lending out my hard earned money for free! I will be taking a good look at the rates after we do our taxes this year.
January 26, 2015 at 7:52 am
it’s all about what you do with the money. Most people, at least here in my tax office, are not giving the government an interest free loan of their own money. Giant refunds usually come from the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit. Thses credits are actually welfare-like payments. I know that’s not PC to say but I like to deal in truth. I agree that if your refund is coming from tax withholding it is a crazy free loan to the government.
February 5, 2015 at 2:01 pm
Don’t advice people to change their allowances on their paychecks! Employees might end up owing money at the end of the year because they cannot prove they have that many dependents as they mentioned on their W4.
Points of the article are really weak. People should be happy about getting their money back, not all countries do that. And because of so many tax credits people usually get more money that they “lend” (as you put it) to the government. Let’s say, I had a client who paid around $100 in federal taxes throughout the year and $0 for the unemployment compensation. And she was mad when I calculated her refund to be a little more than $2000. Guess what – she said I am incompetent and she usually gets back about $6k (but she used to make 5 times more the years she was getting six grands).
Anyway, taxes are not a loan to the government. Some countries collect the money from taxes and never give it back, they spend it on building roads and some other stuff.
About inflation. Your savings account cannot fight the inflation either. Banks offer less than 1% in annual return, but the inflation is about 4% every year, and it doesn’t just happen at the beginning or at the end of the year. The prices rise throughout the year, so you paycheck even without taxes withheld will suffer anyway.
February 7, 2015 at 3:47 pm
It is very tricky getting yourself on the right path to a low tax check without having to owe taxes at the end of the year, it takes a little trial and error, but there are websites out there to help guide you. It took me two tax years to figure it out, but I nailed it this year (2014-2015) I got a lot back through the year which was much more needed than all at once at the beginning of the year. I got a little over $4000 extra in paychecks this year and still got a $85 refund. I could play some more and try for better next year. But im happy normally I only get a $1500-2000 refund, so by making the choice to get it through-out the year im making $1500 more and keeping the IRS off my back. SO great article!! More people need to be aware of what other options are out there.
HS @ Our Debt Blog says
February 11, 2015 at 8:48 am
Who cares if the government holds on to your extra money for a few months? I have no problem with it. If that money came in our paychecks, we would spend it. I much rather get a large amount every year.
February 15, 2015 at 11:43 am
I pretty much disagree with all of this. It’s true that you can get more each paycheck rather than having someone hold onto your money and give it back later, but isn’t alittle struggle for bills worth it if you can use that lump sum for serious improvements to your lifestyle and home? We use our return every year to get things we need for around the house or to pay off any bills we still owe on. We make our payments every month so our credit doesn’t take a hit, plus we manage to save money we simply wouldn’t if it was put in small amounts via checks over 12 months… and as for the first complaint, that the government gets to hold onto our money for a year with nothing coming back to us…? It’s not like the state is going to use that money to buy drugs, they use it to pay for important services and improvements to our society. Would you actually use our money to fund our police force or fix some pot holes? No. So saying you’ll hold onto our money means nothing. We aren’t giving our money to a random person, we are giving our money to help contribute to our society. That is the point of taxes after all…. Inflation is a small price to pay to be able to live comfortably with the improvements we make every year. ‘Nuff said.
February 12, 2016 at 9:37 am
They do not use your tax dollars to pay for anything in our society. Other taxes are used but not income taxes. That goes straight into the pockets of the privately owned Fed Res Bank.
August 18, 2015 at 3:42 pm
If I didn’t have it in my paycheck I can’t say I lost it. Can’t have something you never had. I’d rather have that large refund for the few reasons:
1. I can pay off debts in one shot instead of smaller payments. (actually helped my credit score by doing this)
2. Paid off my car in one shot.
3. Pay cash for something important instead of financing it! (Saved a heck more paying cash price instead of financing charges & interest)
So if you want an extra 100 dollars a month in your check go for it. Chances are you’d just adjust your lifestyle to spend it. If you can save, cheers!. Most live in reality where shit happens. Kids get sick. Need shoes. Etc.
I’d be happy getting my large tax refund each year. Heck I received 10k this year ’15 from ’14 tax year…. Paid all my debts off… Couldn’t do that monthly.
December 3, 2015 at 7:54 pm
I happen to be a part of those big tax return families. I work 40 hours per week in the medical field and earn about 35k per year. I have two kids, two used cars that are paid for, and a home. I get absolutely no government assistance whatsoever. Out tax returns were pretty “normal” until we purchased a home and had two kids. We’re a hard working / honest family and the child tax credit is a total blessing to us.
People have to do the “lesser” jobs. without such a credit, I can see many working families crumble under debt via medical or whatever else that was unexpected.
April 3, 2016 at 10:46 am
Taxation is theft. http://www.lp.org
August 3, 2016 at 11:49 pm
I have a decent base salary but I earn most of my income on commission and get taxed 40%. I pay 30% into my 401k and about 8k 4 medical which included myself and two kids . 25k in interest payments for mortgage . For me the large refund is nice .
August 3, 2016 at 11:50 pm
I have a decent base salary but I earn most of my income on commission and get taxed 40%. I pay 30% into my 401k and about 8k 4 medical which includes myself and two kids . 25k in interest payments for mortgage . For me the large refund is nice .
October 30, 2016 at 2:46 pm
My name is Mr James David and i am talking as the happiest person in the whole wide world today and i told my self that any lender that rescue my family from our poor situation, i will tell the name to the whole wild world and i am so happy to say that my family is back for good because i was in need a loan of $ 85,000 USD to start my life all over as i am a single father with 2kids and the whole world seemed like it was hanging on me until i met the GOD sent loan lender that changed my life and that of my family, a GOD fearing lender, Mrs Mary Smart , She was the Savior GOD sent to rescue my family and at first i thought it was not going to be possible until i received my loan of $ 125,000 USD , i will advise any one who is in genuine need of a loan to contact Mrs Mrs Mary Smart ,via email at:marysmartservice@yahoo.com because She is the most understanding and kind hearten lender.
Testimony on how i got my loan
December 24, 2016 at 8:57 am
I’ve not filed in almost 19 years. Each years I’d visit a tax agent to ask if I needed to file. I get a compensation and ssi. I’ve since purchased a house. Am I to look for a large Return?
A Little About Me
I'm Glen Craig - I used to live paycheck-to-paycheck, drowning in credit card debt. I turned that all around and now I build wealth rather than debt.
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