What "Get Your Refund" actually is

"Get Your Refund" is a tax preparation and refund advance service operated by a company called Pathward Financial. It is a real business — not a scam in the sense that it does not exist or when ready steal your money. But it is not a government program, and it is not free. You pay fees to use it, and those fees can be substantial.

The service does two main things: it helps you file your tax return (like TurboTax or H&R Block do), and it offers to advance you money against your expected refund before the IRS processes your actual return. That advance is a loan, not a gift. You repay it from your refund when it arrives.

The reason people ask whether it is legitimate is that refund advance services rely on aggressive advertising and can feel too good to be true. They are legal, but they work by charging you interest and fees on money you would eventually receive anyway — which makes them expensive compared to filing your taxes for free and waiting for your refund.

Key Takeaways

  • Get Your Refund is a real company owned by Pathward Financial, not a scam that vanishes with your information, but it charges fees for its services.
  • The refund advance it offers is a short-term loan you repay from your actual tax refund, not information programs or a government benefit.
  • You can file your taxes and receive your refund for free through IRS Free File or a VITA site, which makes refund advances unnecessary for most people.
  • Get Your Refund makes money by charging interest and fees on the advance, so the total cost can exceed what you would pay for basic tax filing alone.
  • If you use the service, read the fee disclosure carefully before you agree — the interest rate and all charges must be shown in writing.

How the refund advance actually works

When you file through Get Your Refund, the company estimates what your refund will be. If you want the money before the IRS sends it, you can take an advance — usually between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars, depending on your estimated refund.

You receive that advance quickly, often within one or two business days. But it is not your refund. It is a loan. When your actual refund arrives from the IRS, Get Your Refund takes the money back automatically and keeps the fees and interest you owe. If your refund is smaller than the advance, you may owe money out of pocket.

The fees vary. Get Your Refund charges both a filing fee (for preparing your return) and a loan fee (for the advance itself). The loan fee is usually expressed as an annual interest rate, but because the loan is so short — typically two to four weeks — the actual dollar amount is smaller than the percentage sounds. Still, you are paying for something you would get for free if you waited.

Why this is expensive compared to free alternatives

The IRS offers IRS Free File, a program that lets you file your federal return at no cost if your income is below a certain threshold (which changes yearly but is usually around $60,000 to $70,000). Participating companies like TurboTax, H&R Block, and others provide free filing through this program. You file, you wait for your refund, and you pay nothing.

If your income is above the Free File limit or you want in-person help, VITA sites (Volunteer Income Tax information) offer free tax preparation through community organizations, libraries, and nonprofits. A trained volunteer prepares your return at no charge. Again, you pay nothing and wait for your refund.

With Get Your Refund, you pay a filing fee plus a loan fee. If your refund is $2,000 and you take an advance, you might pay $50 to $150 in total fees depending on the loan amount and how long you borrow. That is money you would not spend if you filed free and waited. The only reason to use a refund advance is if you need the money urgently — and even then, it is worth comparing the cost to other short-term borrowing options like a credit card cash advance or a small personal loan.

Red flags that separate Get Your Refund from actual scams

Get Your Refund is not a scam in the traditional sense — it will not disappear with your tax information or refuse to file your return. But there are real scams that use similar names or advertising to trick people. Here is what makes Get Your Refund itself legitimate, even if it is expensive:

  • It is registered with the IRS as a tax preparation company and appears on the official IRS list of authorized e-file providers.
  • It discloses its fees in writing before you complete your transaction — you see the total cost before you agree.
  • It actually files your return with the IRS, not just takes your money and disappears.
  • It is backed by Pathward Financial, a real bank that holds customer funds in trust accounts.

Actual refund advance scams, by contrast, ask for payment upfront, refuse to show fees in writing, claim they can may provide a refund amount, or ask for personal information (like your Social Security number) before you have agreed to anything. If you see those signs, that is a scam. Get Your Refund does not operate that way.

What happens to your personal information

When you use Get Your Refund, you provide your Social Security number, income information, and banking details so the company can file your return and deposit the advance. This is normal for any tax preparation service. The company is required by law to protect that information and not sell it.

The risk is not that Get Your Refund will steal your identity — it is that any company holding that much personal data could be hacked. Get Your Refund uses encryption and security practices that are standard in the industry, but no company is immune to breaches. If you are concerned about data security, filing through a VITA site (which uses the same security standards) or IRS Free File through a major company like TurboTax is not meaningfully safer.

The bigger concern is straightforward whether you want to give your information to a company at all. If you do your taxes yourself using free software or paper forms, you avoid that step entirely — but you also lose the convenience of electronic filing.

When a refund advance might make sense

Refund advances are expensive, but they are not always the wrong choice. If you need money urgently and your only alternative is a payday loan or credit card interest, a refund advance might cost less. The key is to do the math: calculate the total fee Get Your Refund will charge, then compare it to what you would pay for other short-term borrowing.

For example, if your refund is $3,000 and Get Your Refund charges $100 to advance it, that is roughly equivalent to a 13% annual interest rate (though you only borrow for a few weeks). A payday loan might charge 400% annual interest. A credit card cash advance might charge 25% to 30%. In that context, the refund advance is the cheapest option.

But if you can wait three to five weeks for your refund, you should. The cost of waiting is zero. Get Your Refund is betting that you cannot wait — and it profits from that urgency.

How to check if Get Your Refund is legitimate before using it

If you decide to use Get Your Refund, verify that you are on the real website and not a scam site pretending to be it. Type the URL directly into your browser rather than clicking a link in an email or ad. The official site is getrefund.com (or variations like getrefund.com/taxes).

Before you provide any information, look for the fee disclosure. Get Your Refund must show you the filing fee and the loan fee in writing, and you must agree to both before your return is filed. If the site does not show fees clearly, or if it asks for payment before showing fees, leave when ready.

You can also check whether Get Your Refund is registered with the IRS by visiting the IRS website and searching their list of authorized e-file providers. If it appears on that list, it has met basic regulatory standards. This does not mean it is a good deal — only that it is a real, registered company.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Get Your Refund steal my tax refund?

No. Get Your Refund will file your return accurately and send your refund to the IRS. When your refund arrives, the company automatically deducts the advance and fees you owe, then sends you the remainder. The IRS does not send money to Get Your Refund — it sends your refund to your bank account, and Get Your Refund takes its cut from that deposit.

Can I get my money back if I change my mind?

Once you have agreed to the advance and the funds are deposited, you cannot cancel it. You can choose not to take the advance in the first place — just file your return without requesting an advance, and you will only pay the filing fee. Read the terms carefully before you agree.

What if my refund is smaller than the advance?

If the IRS sends you less than you borrowed, you will owe the difference. Get Your Refund will deduct what it can from your refund and may ask you to pay the rest separately. This is rare but possible if your tax situation changes or you made an error on your return.

Is Get Your Refund the same as a government program?

No. Get Your Refund is a private company. It is not affiliated with the IRS or any government agency. The IRS does not offer refund advances — only Get Your Refund and similar private companies do.

How does Get Your Refund compare to TurboTax or H&R Block?

TurboTax and H&R Block are tax preparation software. Get Your Refund is also tax preparation software, but it adds a refund advance loan on top. If you only want to file your taxes, TurboTax Free or H&R Block Free is cheaper (or free). If you want the advance, Get Your Refund bundles that service together, but you pay extra for it.