<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> A tax refund or tax rebate is a refund on taxes when the tax liability is less than the taxes paid . Taxpayers can often get a tax refund on their income tax if the tax they owe is less than the sum of the total amount of the withholding taxes and estimated taxes that they paid, plus the refundable tax credits that they claim . (Tax refunds are often paid after the end of the tax year .) </P> <P> According to the Internal Revenue Service, 77% of tax returns filed in 2004 resulted in a refund check, with the average refund check being $2,100 . In 2011, the average tax refund was $2,913 . Taxpayers may choose to have their refund directly deposited into their bank account, have a check mailed to them, or have their refund applied to the following year's income tax . As of 2006, tax filers may split their tax refund with direct deposit in up to three separate accounts with three different financial institutions . This has given taxpayers an opportunity to save and spend some of their refund (rather than only spend their refund). Every year, a number of U.S. taxpayers around the country get tax refunds even if they owe zero income tax . This is due to withholding calculations and the earned income tax credit . Because withholding is calculated on an annualized basis, an individual just entering the work force or unemployed for a long period of time will have more tax than is owed withheld . Refund anticipation loans are a common means to receive a tax refund early, but at the expense of high fees that can reach over 200% annual interest . In the 1990s, refunds could take as long as twelve weeks to come back to the taxpayer; however, the average time for a refund is now six weeks, with refunds from electronically filed returns coming in three weeks . </P>

What do we get in return for paying taxes