What to do with your tax refund

May 9, 2009

As April was winding down, the number of e-filers was going up.

More than 90 million tax returns were filed electronically through April 24, according to the IRS. As has been the trend over the last few years, more individuals in 2009 opted to electronically file their returns on their own.

In fact, that segment of filers hit a record this year. For the first time, says the tax agency, more than 30 million individual income tax
returns were filed from home computers. That's a 19 percent jump over last year.

As the math indicates, that means around 60 million taxpayers turned to tax pros to complete and then e-file their returns. That figure is essentially the same as last filing season.

E-filing to get refunds faster: One of the main reasons for e-filing is the speed at which refunds are issued. This year the hubby and I e-filed our Form 1040 on April 15. Our refund showed up in our bank account on April 23. Not too shabby.

I shifted our refund from our checking to our money market account the next day. The money market fund pays a big ½ percent higher interest rate.

What did, or will you do, with your federal tax refund?

Put it into a short-term savings instrument.

Added to my retirement account.
Invested in stocks, bonds, etc.
Helped the economy by spending it.
Deposited it in my, or a family member's, college fund.
Refund? What's that?
I haven't filed my 1040 yet.
Other. Please elaborate by adding a comment.

  

If you're still looking for refund spending ideas, Quicken suggests three ways to get the most from your tax refund.

And remember, if you got an extension to file your return, when you are ready to submit the form, the IRS will accept e-filed returns thorugh Oct. 15.

Share:

The More Tax Posts tab at the top of this page will take you to, well, more tax posts. You also can search below for a tax topic. 

Latest Posts
Don’t miss these June 15 tax filing and paying deadlines

June 14, 2026

June 15 is Tax Day for millions of U.S. taxpayers. Those living and working abroad…

Read More
Tax Season 2026 Continues!

We made it. Tax Day 2025 is finally over. For most of us. When the filing season started on Jan. 26, millions who were expecting refunds filed immediately. Most of us got our returns to the Internal Revenue Service by April 15. But plenty of taxpayers also got extensions. They are looking at an Oct. 15 filing deadline.

Those procrastinating filers aren’t a problem. In fact, the IRS appreciates taxpayers who take time to fill out their 1040 forms correctly. It also is grateful that tax submissions are spread out a bit, especially now that the IRS is a leaner agency. Processing returns is easier when they arrive throughout the year instead of in massive bunches.

But enough about Uncle Sam’s tax collection issues. The focus now is on all y’all who filed for extensions, giving you another six months to complete your return. Since your new mid-October due date will be here before you know it, let’s get started now on meeting it.

The ol’ blog is here to help you finish up your extended Form 1040. You can start with January’s tax tips page, which has links to the rest of the year’s tips by-month collections. You also can peruse various tax categories for more tailored advice by clicking on the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of this (and every) page.

And to make sure you don’t miss your new filing deadline, the count-down clock below will let you know just how much time you to file by Oct. 15. At the latest.e. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

Comments

Comments are closed.