It’s almost tax refund season and if you’re trying to find out how to cash a tax refund check, then you’ve come to the right place. Learning how to cash a tax refund check comes down to the following three things:
- Ensuring you receive your check securely
- Handling your check correctly so you can cash your tax refund check cashed with no problems
- Discovering the best place for you to go to cash your tax refund check.
Ensuring you receive your check securely.
With mail theft and check fraud on the rise, now is more important than ever to make sure you do everything possible to protect your tax return check. Here are a few things you can do to make sure your tax refund check gets to you securely.
- Verify your mailing address at least three times with your tax preparer before filing your tax returns. Doing this helps to make sure your check doesn’t go to the wrong address.
- Consider getting a mailbox with a lock or a PO box at the post office or a postal store. This is another layer of protection that ensures someone can’t open your mailbox and take your mail.
- Remove your mail from the mail box as quickly as possible after it’s delivered. Not leaving your mail in your mail box for long periods of time will greatly decrease the chances your mail will get stolen.
If you think someone has stolen your tax refund, call the Identity Protection Specialized Unit of the IRS at 800-908-4490 and file a report with your local police department. If not receiving your refund in a timely manner has caused you financial hardships, reach out to the Taxpayer Advocate Service for additional assistance.
Handling your check correctly.
Once you receive your a refund check, there are a few things you can do to increase the chances of you being able to get it cashed successfully.
- Keep the check in good condition. Avoid folding, tearing, or allowing the check to get wet. All of these things could decrease your chances of getting your tax refund check cashed successfully.
- Don’t sign your check until it has been verified by a teller and is successfully ready to be cashed. If you take your check to a bank or check cashing store, and they instruct you to sign your check before verifying it, ask them to verify it first. If they are unable to cash your check for any reason, the odds of you being able to cash that check somewhere else greatly decreases if it’s already endorsed.
- Don’t wait. If you don’t need the funds right away, it may be tempting to wait to cash your check. While tax return checks are good for a year after their issue date, this increases the chances of your check becoming lost or stolen. Placing the money in savings account is a much better idea than just holding on to the paper check.
Discovering the best place to cash your check.
If you have a free bank account, cashing your tax refund at your bank is going to be the best option. If not, you’re going to want to ask potential banks or check cashing stores three questions to help you determine the best place to get your check cashed: 1. Can they cash tax refund checks? 2. Can they cash tax refund checks for the amount of your check? 3. How much would they charge to cash your tax refund check?
Can they cash tax refund checks:
While some banks will only cash a tax refund check for customers who have an account with them, most banks and check cashing stores will allow anyone with a valid government-issued photo ID to cash a tax refund check for a fee. Ask friends and family where they go, or use Google to locate the closest place near you. Call them and ask if they are able to cash a tax refund check.
Can they cash tax refund checks for the amount of your check?
While many places will cash tax refund checks, not all of them can cash larger checks due to company policy or availability of funds in a day. When calling to see if a bank or check cashing store can cash a tax refund check, be sure to tell them the amount of your check and confirm that they can cash that amount at the time you potential visit.
How much would they charge to cash your tax refund check?
If the banks or check cashing stores you are calling can cash a tax refund check at the dollar amount of your check, the final question you’ll want to get the answer to is how much they will charge to cash your check. I recommending taking 15 minutes to call three to five stores to get their price to cash your check before making your decision. If they can’t tell you over the phone, move on to the next one. You’ve worked hard all year for the money you’ve earned and have coming back to you. Having the store confirm their price before you drive to their location is the least they can do.
Once you’ve gotten the answers to these three questions, you’re in the best position to get your refund check cashed at the best deal.
Just a heads up: Value Check Cashing Near Me can cash a tax refund check at any amount, and we’d be happy to give you the price to cash your check over the phone. You can even use our Free Check Verification feature on our website to get your check verified over through text before you even arrive.
Click the link to try our Free Check Verification today. Every time you cash a check, you’re also entered into our Monthly Cash Giveaway for a chance to win bonus cash from Value Check Cashing Near Me.
