Refund loan usage declined by almost 5 percent nationally between 2001 and 2002, but the loans remain popular, especially in the South.
This report from the Brookings Institution analyzes IRS data from tax years 1999 through 2002. It notes that the sharpest declines in refund anticipation loans (RALs) were in the Midwest, while the South remains the largest purchaser of such loans. It also notes that the cause of the changes might be associated with the availability of volunteer low-income tax preparation.
Thanks to Katy Hight
FULL STORY: Step in the Right Direction: Recent Declines in Refund Loan Usage Among Low-Income Taxpayers
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Harvard GSD Executive Education
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