Column Tax

Thinking about allowing your users to file their taxes directly within your app? It’s about getting the details right, and only tax software with high return volume and a sophisticated tax engine can do it. Tiny errors can mean rejected returns, lost refunds, and frustrated users. Your tax filing software needs to be able to catch mistakes before they happen: ? ZIP codes must correspond with a filer’s state ? SSNs must be unique across the return ? Names must match IRS records in a very special government format ? Employer names must be IRS-compliant: no special characters! When Column Tax powers your in-app tax filing, these errors don’t make it past our quality checks. Using our built-in tax expertise and learning from patterns in the high volume of tax returns we process, we’re able to automate these and thousands more different validations. We flag any inconsistencies to ensure they’re correct before filing, so your users can submit an accurate tax return that’s accepted by the IRS and state tax authorities. These might seem like small details, but they make all the difference between a seamless tax experience and the status quo. And when your bank or fintech can offer that to your customers, those details go a long way toward building trust and earning long-term loyalty.

Early tax season data is in! The IRS has released early filing season statistics for 2025, and we’re seeing some interesting shifts compared to this time last year: ?? Fewer early filers: 52.4M returns have been received so far — down 3.0% from 2024. ?? More refunds going out: The IRS has already issued 36.9M refunds — up 1.7%. ?? Bigger refunds: The average refund is $3,382, a jump of 6.3% from last year’s $3,182. The rise in refunds is the result of a perfect storm of favorable factors for taxpayers. Inflation adjustments – larger standard deductions and bracket thresholds – significantly lowered many Americans’ 2024 tax liability, directly leading to larger refunds. Based on our user research, we are seeing that the slow start to early filing is due to more taxpayers still waiting on documents, political uncertainty, and just some good, old-fashioned procrastination. For banks and fintech companies that use Column Tax for in-app tax filing, their customers can file their taxes quickly and accurately to get the biggest refund possible — guaranteed.

Tax season is here. Can your users quickly file their returns with current, prefilled data? Most tax platforms prefill last year’s tax return data. But Column Tax — which offers tax products you can embed directly in your app — pulls more recent data:, like your users’ deductible expenses, for an even more efficient and accurate filing experience. With Column Tax, your users: ? Are able to file in under 30 minutes (vs. the 3-hour average) thanks to prefilled data ?? Can seamlessly claim deductions that are automatically surfaced and categorized (particularly helpful for self-employed users) ?? Gain even more value from your app and have a reason to keep coming back, year after year With prefilled data driving an accurate, efficient tax filing process for your users within your financial app, embedded tax filing isn't just a feature — it’s a growth engine.

DOGE has set its sights on the IRS. Here’s what it could mean for banks and fintechs that are embedding tax filing: The IRS has begun laying off about 6,000 employees, or about 6% of its workforce, which is raising concerns about whether it can avoid interruptions to its operations as millions of taxpayers file in the coming months. For banks and fintechs offering in-app tax filing, this could mean: ?? Users may be waiting longer to file this year, given the political uncertainty. And when they do file, they will appreciate faster filing times. Column Tax filers can file up to 6x faster than averages seen with other filing products– making things easier despite the IRS changes. ?? Thanks to Column Tax’s 100% Accuracy Guarantee and the availability of one-on-one support with Column Tax Expert Assist, your customers have someone to turn to even if the IRS call hold times are exacerbated by a staffing shortage this filing season. Banks and fintechs that are there to support their customers this tax season are poised to earn a lot of trust and loyalty as a result. At Column Tax, we’re more committed than ever to helping our partners offer their customers the peace of mind that comes with seamless, stress-free tax filing — no matter what.

Congrats to Cleo on launching their new Tax Hacks Mode to help users navigate tax filing! ?? Tax season can be stressful, but Cleo is changing that by meeting users where they are and giving them the tools they need to file with confidence. With Tax Hacks Mode, Cleo is making tax filing easier, smarter, and more accessible—helping users keep more of their money where it belongs. ????

The MoneyLion team is back for their third season offering free tax filing! Over the past few years, they’ve made it easier than ever to file taxes seamlessly—right inside the MoneyLion app. More tax refunds, fewer headaches — the MoneyLion team delivers for it's users!

The ZayZoon team is making tax season easier for their customer's employees! We're excited for ZayZoon to announce their partnership to offer free tax filing services directly within the app. Employees can log in to their ZayZoon account, and follow the guided steps to complete and file their taxes (alongside their range of tax resources). Congratulations to the whole team on the launch!

The Varo Bank team offering free tax filing to their customers for a second year in a row! Congrats on the coverage of such an impactful product ??

The IRS is open for the 2025 tax season! For millions of Americans, this marks the beginning of an important financial moment: accessing their tax refunds. In fact, 73% of Americans report that they rely financially on their annual tax refund. At Column Tax, we’re proud to help taxpayers navigate the filing process with ease, ensuring they get every dollar they deserve. Tax season is here, and we’re ready to help!

The Chime team shares the details behind their full scale rollout of embedded tax filing to members?? Learn more about how the team used data, research and user feedback to inform their decisions on tax filing over the last two years!