Tax refund season comes to Walmart

More than 2,800 Walmart locations now feature Jackson Hewitt brand tax preparation services and the opportunity to drive big ticket sales once shoppers get their hands on refund checks.

It is a smart strategy for both companies as Jackson Hewitt gains access to Walmart’s weekly flow of roughly 140 million customers and Walmart gains access to shoppers’ refund dollars. Approximately 75% of taxpayers eligible to receive a refund receive an average of $3,000, according to the companies, and Walmart is willing to cash those checks for a nominal fee for customers who don’t have the funds directly deposited into an account.

In addition to this year's expanded footprint of preparation locations, Jackson Hewitt and Walmart are offering free filing of form 1040EZ, low price check cashing, and the ability to start returns early through Jackson Hewitt's free W-2 download service.

"Jackson Hewitt has had an ongoing partnership with Walmart and its MoneyCenters for several years because we believe in making the tax preparation and filing process as easy and convenient as we can for our customers and theirs," said Philip H. Sanford, president and CEO of Jackson Hewitt. "We want to bring 'Tax Refund Joy' to Walmart even earlier this year, and to do this, we are offering taxpayers several benefits and services at our in-store Walmart kiosks."

Once refunds arrive, Walmart will cash checks up to $1,000 for $3 and checks up to $7,500 for $6.