Think twice before charging your tax bill

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By Herb Weisbaum

Story Published: Apr 9, 2008 at 9:46 AM PST

It's a quick, easy and secure way to pay your tax bill -- charge it. You might even be able to earn reward points.

Sounds good, but Curtis Arnold who founded the site CardRatings.com says paying Uncle Sam with plastic is not a smart thing to do.

"Using a credit card to pay your taxes results in a hefty, what they call a 'convenience fee,'" he said.

That fee is at least 2.49 percent and can run as high as nearly 4 percent.

"That's a steep fee on the front end. I equate it to a front end load on a mutual fund," said Arnold.

Remember, if you charge your taxes and can't pay off that credit card bill in full when your monthly statement comes, those interest charged could be devastating.

Arnold says the only time it makes sense to charge your taxes us if you're in dire straights - you have no other way of paying - and you can get a zero percent introductory offer good for 6 to 12 months. Otherwise, he says, contact the IRS.

"They have payment options that are at attractive rates and you're going to do a lot better with them by using their payment options then with going with your typical credit interest rate," which averages about 12.5 percent right now.

More Information:

Is Paying Taxes with your Credit Card Really Rewarding?

Paying taxes with credit card: Typically a bad move

IRS: Paying Taxes with Credit or Debit Card

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