Anchor Intro: Expecting a tax refund this year? Then you're not doing yourself any favors. Bankrate.com withholds nothing when it comes to our readers taking home more by having less withheld in taxes.
Voiceover 1: If getting big checks in the mail makes people happy, then our country should be laughing out loud this time of year.
Voiceover 2: The IRS says the average tax refund in 2007 amounted to nearly $2,700. Which mean the average taxpayer is having $225 too much withheld from their average paycheck every month.
Voiceover 3: Why does it happen? Often because big deductions ... like mortgage interest ... aren't figured into average withholdings.
Voiceover 4: But there's a simple solution. It's perfectly legal to change the number of allowances on your W-4 so you'll have less withheld. You can get one from your employer, or download one from the IRS.
Voiceover 5: There's a worksheet that will help you figure it out, or even better: Use the handy calculator on the IRS website. In less than a minute you can figure out exactly how many allowances you should claim to minimize your withholdings.
Voiceover 6: And here's why you should. Suppose instead of sending $225 a month to Washington, you put it in a mutual fund every month ... maybe a 401(k) at work. If you earn 12 percent, in 10 years you'll have an extra 52 grand. Now that's painless saving!
Standup: Of course, the last thing you want to do is not have enough withheld ... so be careful. And if you do adjust your withholdings to get fatter paychecks, don't forget to adjust your savings strategy too. You're working for that money ... make it work for you. For Bankrate.com, I'm Kristin Arnold.
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