Lawyer warns of pitfalls for tax refund loans

Iowans are warned not to be lured by offers to take out fast loans on their anticipated tax refund checks. Larry James Junior, a staff attorney at the Iowa Legal Aid office, says the offers frequently attract people who simply haven’t done their homework and who will soon be parted with a large sum of cash. James says they’re generally people who would qualify for the earned income tax credit or a child credit that the I-R-S offers, and they tend to be low-income or recent immigrants. On the outset, it looks like a good deal, but James says the people end up taking out a loan against that expected refund at an astronomical interest rate with a big fee.James says the interest rates for the loans can range from 67-percent A-P-R to as high as 774-percent. He hopes to steer people away from the refund loans.James recommends people call Iowa Legal Aid for information on getting their taxes prepared for free and their refunds in ten days or so. Call 800 532-1503 for more information.