Free Tax Refund Scams both Online and in-person are Widespread this time of year

For millions of Americans, the end of January means that your employer will be sending you your W-2 tax form. This means that getting a fast and free tax refund is on the mind of most consumers. Be warned that it is also on the mind of hundreds of individuals which operate free tax refund scams.

There are many corrupt services which will offer fast free tax returns, and even offer same day cash advances on your tax refund. While these services can be legitimate, collecting a small fee for the advance, some are not.

Typically the tax refund scams work by showing the individual a much smaller tax return than they are actually entitled to get back from the IRS. The scammers then pay the individual the lower amount as an advance, minus their processing fee. Then they also keep the difference between the actual tax refund, which is sent to the scammer, and what they gave the customer.

For most Americans, filing you taxes is actually very easy to do yourself online. It is easier, often free, and faster than you might think. If you allow the IRS to direct deposit your tax refund, most refunds are actually issues within a few weeks or less.

To file taxes to get your tax refund for free, many user web services like turbotax.com, or similar services from well known brands like H&R Block. Individuals who file using IRS tax form 1040EZ can usually file taxes for free to get their refund using these sites.

Not sure if you qualify to file using 1040EZ with free tax return filing? Basically if your only source of income is a job or jobs which pay you a regular wage and issue you a standard W2 tax form, you very likely qualify.

Online tax preparation software and web sites will walk you through the process and ask you the appropriate questions to make sure you use the correct tax form and get the maximum refund to which you are entitled. Without much effort, you should be able to file you taxes quickly and get your tax refund promptly.