I didn’t get a confirmation email after I submitted the weekly prizes form. What should I do?
Please check your junk mail box before contacting us about this issue- certain email services filter out our confirmation email.
How will you protect and use my personal information?
If you are selected as a potential winner, you will need to submit proof of eligibility as outlined in our FAQs. We do not require your social security number, savings product account and routing numbers, or any other personal information other than what we request in the weekly prizes and grand prize entry forms. This promotion is sponsored by a non-profit organization, D2D Fund, that is committed to protecting your privacy and will not sell your personal information. Please read our Privacy Policy for details.
Who is eligible to enter?
All tax filers over age 18 who are due a federal tax refund, are legal residents of the U.S. or ITIN-holders, and split $50 or more of their federal tax refund into a qualified savings product using IRS Form 8888 are eligible to enter.
If I win a weekly prize or the grand prize, will I have to submit proof that I split and saved using Form 8888?
Individuals who enter SaveYourRefund through text message or web form and are chosen as potential weekly prize or grand prize winners must provide proof that they split and saved their refunds by sending the promotion sponsor a copy of their Form 8888.
If I prepared my tax return jointly with my spouse and/or claimed dependents, do we all qualify to enter the promotion?
No. Only one person listed on each tax return can participate in SaveYourRefund.
Who is sponsoring this promotion?
The SaveYourRefund Promotion is sponsored by a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, Doorways to Dreams (D2D) Fund, Inc. and is financially supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Ford Foundation.
Why is D2D Fund sponsoring this promotion?
D2D’s past work on prize-linked savings has shown that the opportunity to win a prize – even a prize of modest value – can energize and motivate people to save. As the $90 billion US gaming industry attests, a chance to win allows us to dream, imagine, and aspire – and pairing prize incentives with financial actions can infuse saving, an act often viewed as self-denial, with more immediate reward, surprise, and possibility.
The SaveYourRefund Promotion marries these ingredients – tax time opportunity becomes a conduit for the fun and excitement of winning. The chance to win one of ten weekly $100 prizes- increasing a $50 investment twofold- and a life-changing grand prize of $25,000- more than 500 times a $50 investment- motivates tax filers. With the SaveYourRefund Promotion, filers truly can “save small, and win BIG!”
What are the prizes?
There are a total of 101 cash prizes: one hundred (100) weekly prizes of $100 each and one (1) grand prize of $25,000.
What are the start and end dates for the promotion?
SaveYourRefund starts on January 24, 2014 at 12:01 a.m. ET and ends on April 15, 2014.
When will winners be selected for the weekly prizes?
There will be 10 winners drawn each week on the following dates: February 7, February 14, February 21, February 28, March 7, March 14, March 21, March 28, April 4 and April 11, 2014.
When will the grand prize winner be selected?
The grand prize winner will be selected and notified within 30 days of the promotion end date on April 15, 2014.
How do I enter?
There are two steps to enter the SaveYourRefund Promotion:
- First, enter to win weekly prizes: visit www.saveyourrefund.com on any computer or mobile device and complete an entry form or text “SAVE” for English or “GUARDA” for Spanish to (646) 480-SAVE(7283) to submit your entry.
- Second, enter to win the grand prize: take a photo that represents your savings goal or your motivation to save. Submit the photo, along with an optional caption of up to 140 characters, by uploading it here, texting it to 857-540-0359, or emailing it to photos@saveyourrefund.com.
Do I have to enter to win weekly prizes AND the grand prize? What happens if I enter to win just one of the two?
The only way to be eligible to win the grand prize is to enter to win weekly prizes AND the grand prize. If you only enter to win weekly prizes, you will be eligible to win weekly prizes only. If you only enter to win the grand prize, you will NOT be eligible to win ANY prizes.
My bank/card company/financial institution told me to mark the account I saved in as a checking account on Form 8888. Your website says that account counts as a savings product for SaveYourRefund. I’m confused- how do I enter this information on the entry form for weekly prizes?
It’s important to follow the instructions you were given by your bank/card company/financial institution when you fill out Form 8888. Not doing so could interfere with the proper transfer of funds.
However, for the SaveYourRefund promotion entry form, we want you to select the “Savings Account/Prepaid Card” radio button, not the “Checking Account/Paper Check” radio button, for any savings account, certificate of deposit (CD), prepaid card, or IRA that you saved money into. Don’t worry if the way you characterize your accounts on our entry form doesn’t match what you wrote on Form 8888 exactly- if you’re selected as a winner, we’ll be able to double-check that you saved in the correct type of account.
What is the IRS Form 8888?
IRS Form 8888 allows tax filers to conveniently and securely direct deposit their refund into two or more accounts. Tax filers can receive their refund faster than a paper check. Additionally, Form 8888 allows tax filers to purchase up to $5,000 in U.S. Savings Bonds (Series I).
How can I split my refund?
Remember that you must split your refund when you file your taxes to qualify for the SaveYourRefund promotion. This process can be different depending on how you get your taxes prepared, so read more below to find out how it works for you.
Filing your Own Taxes
TurboTax: When you’re reaching the end of the series of TurboTax screens, you’ll be prompted to enter direct deposit information for as many accounts as you want. Here, you’ll want to save at least $50 in a Qualified Savings Account and the rest of your refund into a different account or paper check. TurboTax will fill out Form 8888 on the back-end using your information. Click here to learn how to print Form 8888 in Intuit’s TurboTax. Click here to learn how to purchase U.S. Savings Bonds in Intuit’s TurboTax.
Other Online Tax Preparation Software or Paper Filing: Use Form 8888 to split your refund, saving at least $50 in a qualified savings account. These links will take you to some popular tax preparation software websites: H&R Block, TaxAct, Tax Slayer.
Having a Tax Preparer File your Taxes
Free Tax Preparation Site or Paid Tax Preparer: Ask your tax preparer to use IRS Form 8888 to split your refund into at least two different accounts, with at least $50 in a Qualified Savings Account.
What kind of accounts can I save in?
Any one of these products is ok: U.S. Savings Bond, Savings Account, Certificate of Deposit (CD), Individual Retirement Account (IRA), TreasuryDirect Account, or a Prepaid Card. See Official Rules for details.
Ok, I saved part of my refund in one of the qualified accounts. What should I do with the rest?
Look at Form 8888 to read about all of the different types of accounts you can split your refund into, and remember that you can also receive part of it in a paper check.
What if I want to save all of my federal tax refund in one account?
Unfortunately, you won’t be eligible to win SaveYourRefund’s prizes if you do that. You must split your federal tax refund into at least two different parts, and one of those parts must be at least $50 that you save in a qualified savings account.
What if I already filed my taxes and saved using Form 8888?
If you learned about the SaveYourRefund Promotion after filing your taxes and saving a portion of it using Form 8888, you can enter anytime until 11:59 p.m. PT on April 15, 2014! See our Official Rules for entry.
What if I already filed my taxes but did not use Form 8888 to split my refund into savings?
If you learned about the SaveYourRefund Promotion after filing your taxes and did NOT save a portion of your refund using Form 8888, unfortunately you are not eligible to enter the SaveYourRefund Promotion online or via SMS text.
How do I follow the promotion and receive updates?
You can receive information about winners and updates about the Promotion by following us on Twitter (@SaveYourRefund) and liking us on Facebook (facebook.com/SaveYourRefund).
Where can I find media materials (press kit, press releases, images, etc.)?
Please click here for media materials related to the SaveYourRefund Promotion. For additional information, interview requests and anything else you might need please email our public relations team at info@saveyourrefund.com.
Who do I contact with further questions?
If you did not find an answer to your question in the FAQs or Official Rules please email us at info@saveyourrefund.com.
How do I submit a photo?
Photos can be submitted one of three ways.
- On our Grand Prize Entry Form
- Email to photos@saveyourrefund.com
- Text Message (standard rates apply) to 857-540-0359
What should be in my photo?
Photos must represent your savings goal and/or what motivates you to save. Be creative! You must own all the rights to your photo; stock photos will not be considered.
How will my photo be judged?
Photos must represent your savings goal and/or what motivates you to save. They are judged based on the following criteria:
- Content (25%)
- Composition (25%)
- Inspiration & Connection to Theme (50%)
Should I add a caption to the submission?
You may add an image caption of up to 140 characters.
Can I send more than one photo?
Please do not send more than one photo submission as only one submission per person is allowed at this time. Additional submissions will not be considered.
The “Enter SaveYourRefund” button takes me directly to the weekly prizes form, but I already filled that out. How do I get to the Grand Prize entry form?
Click here, or go the Enter page and see the text below the “Enter SaveYourRefund” button, which says, “Already entered to win weekly prizes? Click here for the grand prize entry form.”