Tax shops

I have noticed several shops listed that require a minimum return or refund. Are these ligitamate shops or just an excuss to get you into the store to try to get you to take out a tax refund anticipation loan?

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Because they do generally refund you the cost of return preparation and the RAL costs, I have to assume these are legitimate shops. But here are my standard questions:

1) Is it worth a hit to your credit to qualify for a RAL? My understanding is that perhaps some of the shops this year are not actual loans so do not require a credit check, but I would sure check the shop carefully before I allowed that hit.
2) In order to make sure that at the last minute your shop is not acceptable because you aren't entitled to a large enough refund, you really do need to do your taxes before you take your taxes to be done. So why are you doing the shop?
3) In order to complete the shop you are going to need to have the preparer actually file your return while you are there. This does not give you an option to look over the return at your leisure before filing, so any changes or corrections will need to be filed as amendments.
4) The big question, however, is why are you providing interest free use of your money for as much as a year to Uncle Sam?

And also, they say you must get $300 to $2,000 back in a tax refund but what it you don't? Do they not accept your shop and leave you holding the bag for all the fees?

That would be correct. After all, a shop 'requirement' was that you must be getting back at least the specified refund.

Since we're discussing Tax Shops, are there any REPUTABLE and DEPENDABLE mystery shopping companies who offer these tax shops apart from Market Force? I 've seen some posted by MCP but they have burned me in the past with other shop payments-so I won't consider them.

SunnyDays2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And also, they say you must get $300 to $2,000
> back in a tax refund but what it you don't? Do
> they not accept your shop and leave you holding
> the bag for all the fees?

Yep, checked it over...Not worth all the mumbo-jumbo for me. I prefer the easy-peasy no stress shops and pass on the ones that "look" like good pay, but ultimately turn out to be a PITA!

:>

Lysa

I didn't qualify for the tax shop and assumed it was because I don't use the EZ form. But in retrospect, it's all good. I filed my own taxes as usual (this morning) and should have my refund in my account in 10 days or less.

I didn't bother with them because with all my 1099's, etc I'm sure a big flag would go up as a Mystery Shopper. I mean I can say "independent market researcher" all I want but some of these companies' names are a dead giveaway!

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Tax shops

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