Jackson Hewitt Tax Service® Celebrates Grand Opening of Kiosks in 2,800 Walmart Stores Nationwide

PARSIPPANY, N.J., Jan. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Tax time at Walmart officially kicked off today as Jackson Hewitt Tax Service®, the nation's largest privately held tax preparation firm, celebrated the tax season Grand Opening of its kiosks conveniently located in 2,800 Walmart stores nationwide. If Walmart customers and associates are looking for convenience, ease and value when it comes to having their 2011 tax return accurately prepared, then 'Jackson Hewitt's How You Do It!(SM).'  

Jackson Hewitt's tax pros invite Walmart customers and associates to stop by the Jackson Hewitt kiosk for a free tax refund estimate. Your Jackson Hewitt tax pro can also provide you with information about the various products and services available this year, including a new free federal Form 1040EZ* offer available at Jackson Hewitt's Walmart kiosk locations for qualifying taxpayers. A refund readiness checklist is available to assist Walmart customers and associates with organizing tax-related information in advance of having their tax return prepared.

With approximately 75 percent of taxpayers eligible to receive a refund, and an average refund of roughly $3,000, tax time is an event many Walmart customers and associates look forward to. With Jackson Hewitt's recently launched new ad campaign celebrating tax refund joy, the tax pros at Jackson Hewitt's kiosks look forward to delivering the best possible outcome and the feeling of tax refund joy to Walmart customers and associates nationwide.

"We are more excited than ever this year to open our tax preparation kiosks and kick off tax time at Walmart," said Philip H. Sanford, president and chief executive officer of Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. "We've got great, convenient Walmart locations throughout our nationwide system, tax pros ready to meet customer expectations and a new tiered pricing offer that we know will be attractive to Walmart customers and associates alike. On top of that, the powerful combination of products and services offered by Jackson Hewitt Tax Service and Walmart's MoneyCenters delivers to Walmart customers and associates not only the experience of tax refund joy, but also an overall experience of convenience, ease and value at tax time."

To assist taxpayers with getting a quick start on their 2011 tax return, Jackson Hewitt offers free W-2 download service. This valuable service not only allows taxpayers to obtain their W-2 information rapidly, but also to start and potentially file their tax return prior to receiving their W-2 via U.S. mail.  Free W-2 download service is available to all Walmart associates and Walmart customers whose employers make W-2's available online. To learn if your employer's W-2's are available online, visit the Jackson Hewitt kiosk at your local Walmart store.

"Customers need to make every dollar count in this tough economy, and that's why we're committed to helping customers pay less for their financial services during tax season and throughout the year," said Daniel Eckert, Walmart's Head of Financial Services. "With more than 3,000 tax preparation kiosks in Walmart stores across the U.S. and low flat-fee check cashing services, our customers can conveniently make their refund dollars stretch farther by simply taking care of their tax needs at Walmart."

At Walmart MoneyCenters, customers can cash their tax refund for just $3 for checks up to $1,000 and $6 for checks up to $7,500**. In addition, Walmart will load the funds onto a Walmart MoneyCard at no charge.

Walmart MoneyCenters

Walmart is a leading provider of affordable money services that help customers manage their money and keep their finances on track.  Products and services include:

• Check Cashing – With Walmart check cashing, customers can conveniently cash payroll or government checks, including tax refund checks, starting at $3;
• Bill Payment – Walmart offers three-day, next-day and same-day bill payment delivery options, with prices starting at 88 cents;
• Money Transfers – Customers can use MoneyGram® to send money to friends and family around the world in minutes, for a great low fee; and,
• Walmart MoneyCard – The Walmart MoneyCard is a leading reloadable, pre-paid  debit card, available for the low price of only $3. American families underserved by traditional financial institutions can have many of the advantages of a checking account, including depositing their paychecks on a safe and secure card, checking their balances, paying bills and shopping anywhere Visa or MasterCard debit is accepted. The Walmart MoneyCard has no overdraft fees.

To locate a nearby Walmart with a Jackson Hewitt® kiosk, visit www.walmart.com/jacksonhewitt.

*The free federal Form 1040EZ offer includes up to two W-2's and is generally used by single or married taxpayers who claim no dependents and who do not itemize deductions. Additional fees apply for state, local and more complex federal tax returns, financial products and other services.

**Walmart cashes most types of pre-printed checks, as well as payroll cards and eligible government benefit cards. Walmart cashes tax refund checks and cards up to $1,000 for $3 and tax refund checks up to $7,500 for $6, offering significant savings over many other check cashers. Walmart cashes checks in 47 states, excluding New York, New Jersey. Walmart is also currently testing other check cashing services in Rhode Island.

About Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc.

Based in Parsippany, NJ, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. is an industry-leading provider of full service individual federal and state income tax preparation, with nearly 6,500 franchised and company-owned locations throughout the United States, including 2,800 located in Walmart stores nationwide. Jackson Hewitt Tax Service® also offers an online tax preparation product at www.jacksonhewittonline.com. For more information, or to locate the Jackson Hewitt® office nearest to you, visit www.jacksonhewitt.com or call 1-800-234-1040. Jackson Hewitt can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

About Walmart

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at over 9,700 retail units under 69 different banners in 28 countries. With fiscal year 2011 sales of $419 billion, Walmart employs 2.1 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://walmartstores.com, and on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

Contacts:

David G. Weselcouch    
Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc.  
(973) 630-0809                                 
[email protected]              

Melissa Connerton    
CooperKatz & Company
(917) 595-3039
[email protected]    

Walmart Media Relations
(800) 331-0085
http://walmartstores.com/reporter

SOURCE Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc.