Here’s another lie “THEY” tell us: “it’s good to get a tax refund.” Really? Let’s look at some numbers—according to IRS.gov, 83% of Americans got tax refunds in 2016, with the average size being $3,100. Is it a coincidence that according to bankrate.com, 76% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck? I wonder, could there be an overlap? By my calculation, if you are living paycheck to paycheck there is little to no money being set aside for retirement, vacations, catastrophes, etc… And yet, we keep falling for the same lies year after year.

The Real Winners of the Refund Game

So, who is pushing these lies and why?

Why the push of the big tax preparers to get the tax refunds if it is not a good long-term strategy? Maybe I just answered my own question—short term is the focus. H&R Block, the largest tax preparer, did about $3 billion in revenue last year and the company spends roughly $150 million in media annually.

“‘We’re very much targeting millennials with these big and bold promotions,’ said Kathy Collins, CMO of H&R Block, who noted the 2014 Hipster Tax Crisis campaign targeting millennials through digital video. It’s the millennials who ‘tend to be early-season filers because they’re generally more eager to get their tax refunds.’

Who’s Really Giving Financial Advice?

Speaking of H&R Block, they have had some “interesting” experiences recently. According to

Wikipedia, “In August 2005, H&R Block announced that it had overstated its earnings for 2003 and 2004 by $91.1 million. The company stated that it had ‘insufficient resources’ to identify and report complex transactions in its corporate tax accounting. On February 23, 2006, the company said in its quarterly results that it had miscalculated its own state income taxes for 2005 and 2004, and that it owed an additional $32 million in back taxes.”

And these are the guys giving the advice to the average Americans?

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