There you go again, girl! "these lower income folks"
You make it sound as if they're in a different class than you are. (Actually, from your attitude, I'm guessing they are.) I've had a lot of formal education and made a nice income for a long time, but the past couple of years have been very tough. Maybe it's the economy, maybe I'm in failing health (too personal) but regardless of the circumstances that led me to this state, I guess you could call me one of those "low income folks" this year.
Anyway, you write "Some refunds are huge for those who didn't pay enough taxes or any taxes.."
First of all, let me explain the word "refund." If you go shopping and you buy a tee shirt at Wal-Mart for $10 and return it, you get a refund. If you stole the tee shirt, you don't get a refund.
Now let's say some of these refunds are for EIC because the taxpayer happens to fall into a qualifying category. The Earned Income Credit is designed to keep working parents from poverty so they can continue to work and feed their families. So desiring to receive the money quickly would then make a lot of sense. I don't find anything "amazing" about that.
Still, to anyone who is reading this, if you expect a tax refund, "Rapid Refund" is a lot of crap, so I advise people not to get it. If you have a checking account, just request direct deposit and you'll get your check electronically in a few weeks. You can usually open up a free savings account with as little as $10 at your local bank. File as early as possible too. The term Rapid Refund is just another way that financial professionals take advantage of people who put their trust in others. What these tax preparers do is sign up people getting refunds and deduct the Rapid Refund fee from that amount. Many people don't realize that this is a high interest loan, and they're so excited to get the money, that they don't look at the astronomical fees. To me, this is actually stealing from the American people whose taxes are paying for this instead going directly to these families.
If you are in a low income bracket, don't even bother using one of those tax services like H&R Block. There are free services available within your community. As the IRS suggests:
Trained community volunteers can help you with special credits, such as Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit, and Credit for the Elderly for which you may qualify. In addition to free tax return preparation assistance, most sites also offer free electronic filing (e-filing). Individuals taking advantage of the e-file program will receive their refunds in half the time compared to returns filed on paper – even faster if you have your refund deposited directly into your bank account.