Missouri Offers Tax Refund Debit Cards

The debit card option is new for Missouri taxpayers this tax season, according to Missouri State Treasurer Clint Zweifel.

Zweifel announced taxpayers now are able to get a refund in the form of a debit card whether their return is filed on paper or electronically. The new refund option is for taxpayers who file individual income tax returns or Property Tax Credit claims.

This is the first year the Department of Revenue has offered the refund debit card, Zweifel stated in a news release. "To receive the card, taxpayers will need to check the debit card box located on the refund line of their 2012 income tax return or PTC claim. After the card is received in the mail, the recipient must activate it by phone or online, and a Personal Information Number or PIN must be created."

Benefits of the debit card include:

1. no check cashing fees
2. no bank account is required
3. access to the funds is available 24 hours a day.

Taxpayers can use the refund card for free for purchases and to get cash back with a purchase anywhere a Visa Card is accepted, the news release indicated. UMB, MoneyPass and Chase ATMs all may be used to access cash without fees. One free withdrawal is allowed at other ATMs, but an ATM surcharge may apply.

The card is issued by JP Morgan Chase of New York.

Other refund options for taxpayers include a paper check mailed to a taxpayer and electronic direct deposit into a bank account of a taxpayer receiving a refund.

Click here for more details about the tax refund debit card.