I did a search and couldn't find anything on these shops, so I apologize if this has already been discussed!

Has anyone done these shops? They require you to actually apply for a loan and the fee is $60. The fees seems low to me for what is required, but this MSC typically has simple reports. Are they super complicated? Do you consider them ten foot pole shops?

Any insight would be appreciated!

Oh, and yes, I realize that they will affect your credit, of course - you're applying for a loan.

My suggestion is to email or phone the MSC and ask for details.

I see them here too. A lot of them. They do mention credit hits, so I won't be doing them.

They are very tempting but I do not like to do hard credit hits so I will be passing.

HMM mystery shopping a tax preparing agency to prepare your taxes. You think they may notice your occupation of mystery shopper when preparing your taxes and put 2 and 2 together. Might as well wear your I am your mystery shopper t-shirt.

I just noticed they jumped to $60 from $45 around here. Looks like everybody's unwilling to have the credit hit.

They're $75 here now. (west Texas)

Credit hits are a problem for me as well. I won't do any such shop for less than $100 even if it is a product I really want.

I see 13 of them just in my area--all up to $75. You can't do them unless you have a current pay stub from a regular employer who is NOT a mystery shopper.

BuffaloNY101 Wrote:
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> HMM mystery shopping a tax preparing agency to
> prepare your taxes. You think they may notice your
> occupation of mystery shopper when preparing your
> taxes and put 2 and 2 together. Might as well wear
> your I am your mystery shopper t-shirt.

These are for W2 employees, not 1099, at least the ones in my area are. So they are looking for shoppers who have full-time jobs and mystery shop on the side.

The shop I posted about is for applying for a loan, not the tax preparation shop - I don't believe they're one in the same. Even so, I can supply a non-MS pay stub, if needed.

The fee jumped up to $75 in my area, as well. If they reach ~$100, I think I'm bite. Doesn't sound like anyone's done these before, but thanks for all the replies anyway

In my area, they're up to 90 dollars, and I see lots of them. I'm curious--I assume that each person can only do one?

I won;t do them but I remember seeing them last year go over 100 bucks. If I was to do one I'd be waiting for that

The ones I see are not for tax preparation, but are for a $1000 loan from the company that does taxes.

I think it's the same Canuck. The advanced refund is a loan on the eventual, actual refund. Not sure though, having never done it

This is a loan shop. I would think they are more interested in us applying for a loan than worried about taxes. Perhaps someone would a W-2 job would look like they can pay the loan back versus someone who does not have a 9-5.

The loan is for $1000. It is not much, but what other loan agency does not do a hit on your credit? These loan shops are appearing before tax refund time, so maybe the client is seeing how many people would be interested in taking out as loan before using their tax as collateral.

The shop is $90 around here. It's a loan shop. If you want to take out more that one loan, you could shop more than one. After they give you all the information, you could probably say "You need to think about". and move on to the next shop. The credit hit might be the drawback.

These are unsecured lines of credit, so I would say a credit pull is a given. My image of H&R Block just plummeted when I read the APR is a usurious 36%.

(heart)

I went as far as taking the screener. I answered the question regarding expecting a refund as "no" even though I thought it would disqualify me and that is exactly what happened. They all disappeared but a couple of days later they were back on my list of shops. I expect to contact the msc to find out if you can say yes to refund even if at this point you are unsure. I would not mind the credit check if the fee gets higher. Some years I get a refund and some years I do not.

It's entirely under your control if you get a refund or not. You can always mail in an Estimated Payment by January 15 for any amount you want. If you expect to break even, mail in $500 and you'll have a $500 refund when you file.

So I put in a call to the 800 number and asked HR Block about their loans. They will estimate based on your recent pay stub and the income it shows and the deductions you have taken out whether or not you are going to get a loan. I realize I can pay the IRS Estimated tax and I do pay every year. My tax return is not a simple one or two job tax return which is probably the best to have when doing this mystery shop job. The amount they will approve is based on the refund you will get from their estimate. I think making it too complicated for them to figure out by telling them you have estimated tax or this or that will probably disqualify you from the loan and or from the msc from wanting you to do the job. I am not sure if the msc wants someone to go and apply and be turned down but I have sent them a query. HR block then takes the money you have borrowed out of the tax refund you get if you have them do your taxes. If some other place or you yourself do your taxes they send some form to the IRS to put what sounds like a lien against your tax refund. Then the irs will send them $1000 to pay back the loan out of your refund and will send the rest to you.
Dspeakes, unless I do my tax form by Jan 15 which is unlikely I will not know my refund status and it does not seem worth it to me to send the IRs extra money and figure out the amount just so I can do this mystery job at any bonus amt. But for those with a simple straightforward return I guess they could do that.