Finance Tax Time

If the tax you owe is less than the total of the amount of refundable tax credits that you can claim and the amount of the withholding that you paid, then you can expect a tax refund. Why? The most recent tax law provided for a new 10% tax bracket. This means that, depending on your tax category, the first $6,000 to $12,000 of your earnings will be taxed at 10 percent instead of 15 percent. To a lot of Americans, this seems like good news. But is it really?

Many financial experts are quick to interpret the tax refund as a loan that the government borrowed from you - a loan that it is now paying back to you, interest-free. For this reason, some people see tax refunds as an inadequate premium. It is nothing more than excess money you paid, which the government used, and is now giving back to you with no interest.

For a greater majority, however, tax refunds are mere ’savings’ - money that the government kept for you that you are now going to get back for use in other things. Many Americans are pleasantly surprised to receive tax refunds each year. Most people use the money to pay off debts, beef up savings accounts, and even go on vacations.

To get your tax refund you have three options. You can either let the government directly deposit your tax refund into your bank account, have a check mailed to you, or apply your refund to next year’s income tax.

Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and other major banks have a routing number exclusively for direct deposits, which can make your life easier. However, if your account is with a credit union or other type of financial institutions, your tax refund may be rerouted to another institution. Be sure to verify the routing number with your credit union, because it is not always correct on the check. Also, remember that the IRS will not advise you or your bank that your tax refund has been deposited, so it’s your job to do follow-up work.

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If you are expecting an income tax refund like millions of US taxpayers, read on. The good news is, you will have extra money. The bad news? It will be tough figuring out how to use it.

If you still don’t know how to make the most out of the extra income that’s about to come your way, here are some helpful ideas from financial experts.

Pay off your credit cards, your 401(k), or your mortgage. Paying off the amount you still owe on plastic maybe the wisest thing to do. Credit card interest rates are at an all-time high, so free yourself from crippling balances by wiping them out. Remember that paying just the minimum payment is never a good idea. Your money just goes into servicing the interest, and does not really reduce the principal.

But if your credit card is in good shape, why not make a lump sum payment to the principal on your mortgage? Doing so can save you a lot of money in the long run. Think about it: if you pay $1,000 to your principal on a $100,000-mortgage (assuming your rates are at 7 percent), you would save at least $4,000 over the loan term.

You can also use the money to add to the balance in your 401(k), and then use the money you would have used to pay the loan as additional tax-deferred premiums instead. This is not only sensible, but also very wise. This way, you put the money you have borrowed back into your account and let it earn interest, and make extra contributions to build up your account.

Establish a savings account for emergencies. You could lose your job anytime, so don’t dilly-dally; put aside your tax refund for an emergency account and be prepared for such a situation. An emergency fund should allow you to get by for at least three months if you ever lose your job. Use your tax rebate to beef up your existing emergency fund, or to start one if you haven’t yet.

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