Tax Refund

MyTaxrefund Show us the money Not to be confused with an app that helps you with your taxes, MyTaxRefund from online Web tax service TurboTax is a one-trick pony — even if it is an important trick. Once you've filed your taxes, the app will keep track of where your refund is once you verify your Social Security number and Zip code. The app works for people who've e-filed with or without TurboTax's help. You can also hook the app into the Intuit Mint service to be alerted when your refund is deposited in your bank account.

It's national Tax Day on Monday, when many taxpayers turn their thoughts to the refund checks they're expecting sometime in the next few weeks. But in Virginia this year, the state stopped issuing tax refund checks, instead sending the money to individual bank accounts via direct deposit or offering a debit card with the refund on it. Yes, there's a catch: As with all debit cards, there can be fees . Fees for cash withdrawals. Fees for balance inquiries. Fees for phone calls to ask how to...

Many taxpayers think that getting a federal refund is a big deal. They look forward to it all year. It's the largest lump sum lots of people receive, according to the American Tax and Financial Center at TurboTax, the tax software company. Last year, the average federal tax refund was about $2,800, about $100 less than in 2011, according to the Internal Revenue Service. In 2010, the average refund was about $3,000. Typically, you pay your federal taxes by having a portion withheld from your pay. If too much is withheld, you get a refund.

The Internal Revenue Service has good news for some taxpayers. First, if you didn't file your tax return in 2009, you still have time — until April 15 — to claim any refund you might be due. The IRS estimates that half the potential refunds for 2009 are for more than $500. That's not chump change in my book. It could be enough to help pay for the preventive maintenance you're supposed to regularly get for your car. There is a three-year window from the original deadline of your tax return to claim a refund.

The era of the tax advance is over, the final chapter in a case study of how businesses can reap billions of dollars from the unintended consequences of government policies. These high-cost, short-term loans were designed to take advantage of the inefficiency of the Internal Revenue Service, plugging the gap between when taxpayers filed returns and when their refunds came through — very much like a payday loan. An overhaul of the federal tax code intended to put more money in the hands of low-income families sent demand for the advances...

Attorneys for imprisoned former lobbyist Jack Abramoff said yesterday that his wife and five children are living "just above the poverty line" and he should be permitted to continue spending a tax refund of more than $500,000 to pay back his lawyers and creditors, as well as those who have helped his family make ends meet. The filing by Abramoff's legal team came in response to move by the Justice Department last month to stop Abramoff from using the tax refund to pay his bills. The government lawyers told U.S....

Convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff should not be allowed to use his tax refund of more than $500,000 to pay back his lawyers, accountants and others because he has yet to make restitution for the millions of dollars he defrauded from Indian tribes he represented, the Justice Department says. Abramoff, who has been in prison since 2006, received a $520,189 refund from the IRS on May 4. After his lawyers notified the government, Justice asked a federal judge today to stop Abramoff from paying his bills.

Last year the IRS cut nearly 120 million refund checks with an average amount of nearly $3,000 each. If you're in line for a nice fat refund this year, creating a game plan before the money hits your checking account can help ensure it generates maximum value. Paying down credit card debt, shoveling more money into an emergency cash fund and funding your 2012 IRA are solid go-to refund moves. But c'mon, do you need to hear that again? Didn't think so. Here are some other ideas for this year's tax refund.

It's national Tax Day on Monday, when many taxpayers turn their thoughts to the refund checks they're expecting sometime in the next few weeks. But in Virginia this year, the state stopped issuing tax refund checks, instead sending the money to individual bank accounts via direct deposit or offering a debit card with the refund on it. Yes, there's a catch: As with all debit cards, there can be fees . Fees for cash withdrawals. Fees for balance inquiries....

Q I filed my tax return a few weeks ago. When will I get my refund? AIf you have filed your tax return, you're probably wondering when that refund money is going to arrive. Most people will receive a big chunk of cash this year: The average refund for people who have filed so far is about $2,700, which is 11 percent higher than last year's figure. You should expect to get your refund about six weeks after the IRS receives your paper return, or within three weeks after the acknowledgment date if...

What would a tax season be without confusion and last-minute changes? First up, a lot of H&R Block customers are irate about a glitch that will delay their federal tax refunds by weeks. For days, H&R customers complained on Facebook that they weren't getting a clear explanation as to why their refunds were delayed. As it turns out, there was a problem with returns that included Form 8863, which is used to claim two higher education credits — the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit.

Many taxpayers think that getting a federal refund is a big deal. They look forward to it all year. It's the largest lump sum lots of people receive, according to the American Tax and Financial Center at TurboTax, the tax software company. Last year, the average federal tax refund was about $2,800, about $100 less than in 2011, according to the Internal Revenue Service. In 2010, the average refund was about $3,000. Typically, you pay your federal taxes by having a portion withheld from your pay. If too much is...

District insurance regulators are seeking a $2.8 million payment from city businessman Jeffrey E. Thompson, alleging that his health insurance company did not receive an income tax refund to which it was entitled. That company, D.C. Chartered Health Plan, has been under the District's control since October, following reports of financial weakness and accounting irregularities . Regulators are seeking the payment after an independent audit completed this week...

D.C. employees were able to change dates and override internal controls on computerized tax records, approving a tax refund in one case after a three-year filing deadline had passed, according to a previously undisclosed internal report that describes a fresh round of problems in the city's embattled Office of Tax and Revenue. That report and two others were obtained by The Washington Post this week through a public-records request just days after the D.C. Council unanimously...

It's a classic story: You got your W-2 forms way back in February, got your papers in order to file your taxes and then called it a day. Suddenly it's mid-April and you realize you never took the last step — to file. There's some good news. For one, tax day wasn't April 15 this year, it's been moved to April 17. That's thanks to some fortuitous calendar coincidences, as the traditional tax day fell on Sunday this year, followed by the D.C. holiday, Emancipation Day. If you haven't prepared your...

I finally did it. I cleaned out my closet. It felt good to get rid of clothes I haven't worn in years or that no longer fit. It took much longer than I expected, mostly because I just couldn't let go of many things. And isn't this much the way many of us handle our personal finances? We cling to old financial behaviors or we put off cleaning up our financial lives because it's easier than doing the work it takes to get rid of stuff. Here are my five tips to get you started on spring cleaning your finances: ...

D.C. employees were able to change dates and override internal controls on computerized tax records, approving a tax refund in one case after a three-year filing deadline had passed, according to a previously undisclosed internal report that describes a fresh round of problems in the city's embattled Office of Tax and Revenue. That report and two others were obtained by The Washington Post this week through a public-records request just days after the D.C. Council unanimously agreed to require...

The IRS now allows you to have your tax refund deposited directly into as many as three accounts. That's convenient because a recent survey by TD Ameritrade found that 85 percent of adults who expect a tax refund this year say they plan to invest it, pay off debt or save it. So you could automatically get a head start on your 2008 IRA contribution, deposit money into your checking account to pay your credit card bill, and fund a high-yield online...

The era of the tax advance is over, the final chapter in a case study of how businesses can reap billions of dollars from the unintended consequences of government policies. These high-cost, short-term loans were designed to take advantage of the inefficiency of the Internal Revenue Service, plugging the gap between when taxpayers filed returns and when their refunds came through — very much like a payday loan. An overhaul of the federal tax code intended to put more money in the hands of low-income families sent demand for the advances...

Last year the IRS cut nearly 120 million refund checks with an average amount of nearly $3,000 each. If you're in line for a nice fat refund this year, creating a game plan before the money hits your checking account can help ensure it generates maximum value. Paying down credit card debt, shoveling more money into an emergency cash fund and funding your 2012 IRA are solid go-to refund moves. But c'mon, do you need to hear that again? Didn't think so. Here are some other ideas for this year's tax refund.