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Instant Tax Service reported to BBB

In the last week, the Better Business Bureau of Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan has received nearly a dozen complaints about Instant Tax Service on Monroe street in Toledo.  The complaints site a number of issues, including filing taxers without permission and keeping customers money.

One Toledo woman told 13abc, she just went to the location, hoping to get a better refund.  But in the end she chose another route. But when she tried to file her taxes, it kept getting denied.  The IRS told her the paperwork had already been filed.  She said Instant Tax filed her taxes without her permission.  In fact, her file read "may not file with us, will call and let us know."  Now, she's out hundreds of dollars. 

"They charged me $700 to file income tax," she said.

Another Toledo woman is dealing with the same problems.  However, she gave Instant Tax Service permission to file her taxes.  She also says she came up short. 

"I picked up my check and it was $650 taken out."

She also said the employees gave her the run around when she called with questions.  And she said, "I was given somebody else's paperwork.  I had another persons social security number, name, all of their information."

That customer did end up getting some of her money back.  But the BBB said it's received several other calls the last week about the same location.  The president of the BBB, Dick Eppstein said, "this is a very high number.  I've been here a long time and I can't remember a time when this many complaints came in on a tax preparation service."

Now the BBB is working with the Attorney General to determined if anything illegal took place.

Instant Tax Service sent a statement about this situation.  "We are fully aware of the issues that were put forward to the BBB and other affiliates, and as always, we are closely working with all agencies to improve the concerns that were brought forward.  Whatever a person's situation is, we at Instant Tax Toledo have and we will work hard to help our client."