The Advantages and Disadvantages of Tax Refund Anticipation Loans

Tax refund anticipation loans provide a way to access funds owed on a tax refund faster than waiting for the IRS to process the refund. In essence, they are short-term loans against the anticipated income from a tax refund.

Whether this type of loan is suitable for you or not will depend on your personal circumstances. While a tax refund anticipation loan will certainly give you virtually instant access to money owed to you by the government, there are also some drawbacks to be aware of.

The advantages

The main advantage of a refund loan is that you will have the funds you expect to receive from your tax refund available to spend sooner. This type of short-term loan is usually processed very quickly, and you could have your money in your checking account in just a few days. That can be especially beneficial if you have urgent bills to pay and can’t wait for your refund to come through the usual channels.

The disadvantages

The main disadvantage of these types of loans is that they will charge you interest and fees, which can be quite high, and this will reduce the amount of money you receive from your refund. When applying for this type of short-term loan, it’s important to be fully aware that it is a loan, not, as some advertisements lead you to believe, a means to get your tax refund processed faster.

Another potential drawback consumers should be aware of with this type of loan is that if the tax refund is delayed or the refund is denied by the IRS, the loan will still be outstanding and will still need to be repaid.

When is a tax refund anticipation loan appropriate?

As with all types of loans, the need for a tax anticipation loan will depend on your own circumstances. If you don’t need the funds urgently, then it would be better to wait for the refund to process in the normal way than to spend money on fees and interest on a loan.

On the other hand, if you need funds urgently and are prepared to receive a little less of your refund than you originally expected, a tax anticipation loan would make those funds available to you in just a few days.

Shopping around

If you decide to apply for a loan ahead of your tax refund, it’s better to shop around rather than take the first loan you see advertised or the loan your accountant offers. There are many loan companies that provide this type of financing, and interest rates and fees can vary widely, so a loan matching service is often the best option as more than one lender may offer you a loan match. loan, in which case, you can shop around for the best deal available.

It is always important when accepting any loan, including tax refund anticipation loans, that you read the terms and conditions very carefully and understand what the cost of the loan will be and when you will have to pay it back.