In 2005, US taxpayers spent an unnecessary $960 million (a 22% decrease from 2004 to 2005) to receive their tax refund faster through Refund Anticipation Loans. 

Quick tax loans, or refund anticipation loans (RALs) are offered to taxpayers who are in a hurry to get a tax refund. After going to a paid tax preparer to get a tax return filled out and filed electronically, taxpayers can borrow the value of the anticipated refund immediately. When the refund check comes back from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), it is reduced by the amount of the refund anticipation loan. Taxpayers using RALs obtain their money faster by only two weeks or less (the amount of time they would have to wait if they used electronic filing and direct deposit).

Source:  National Consumer Law Center/Consumer Federation of America, http://www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/RAL_Report_2007020507.pdf.