Community Reinvestment Association of North Carolina
Abstract
This paper reveals the use of refund anticipation loans, also known as RALs, from 2004 to 2006 in North Carolina. It highlights zip codes with the highest concentration of RAL use. It places a connection between the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and demand for RALs. The inference is that this successful federal anti-poverty program is undermined by tax preparation services seeking to capitalize on the financial problems of low-income North Carolinians. Four maps are included at the end of the paper to reveal the geography of RAL use in the state
