Tax prep agencies lure the poor into high-cost loans

A Little Off the Top
The Cleveland Free Times 

By Charu Gupta

For as long as she can remember, Tameko Brown has been in financial straits.

The 32-year-old biochemistry stockroom manager makes about $30,000 a year.

She had her first child at age 18, and is now the single mother of four.

This qualifies her for the Earned Income Tax Credit, the anti-poverty program for families making less than $37,000.

Brown’s EITC return typically falls in the ballpark of $1,500