Our Founders

Chief Executive Officer Anton M. Lavrisha, B.A., J.D., is a 1979 graduate of Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, CSU. A lifelong resident of Cleveland, born of immigrants who fled their homeland of Slovenia as political war refugees, Anton began preparing taxes at age 16 for his father, a self-employed bricklayer. Upon earning his law degree, Anton continued to prepare individual income taxes for his clients. In 1985, he acquired an income tax preparation practice in the Slovenian neighborhood on Cleveland's east side. "Providing a professional level of service at a better price for the common man" would ultimately provide the foundation for the mission of 800-TAX REFUND, Inc.

President Joel T. Dimengo, B.A., got his first exposure to taxes and accounting at age 15, when he handled the bookkeeping duties for his father's real estate investments. A 1978 graduate of Kent State University, Joel spent the early years of his professional career in public service for the County of Summit before choosing to devote his energies full-time to his own real estate investment activities. Like Mr. Lavrisha, Joel saw an opportunity to invest in a working-class neighborhood in North Akron, when in 1988 he began offering financial and tax services. "Empowering people with the information they need to help themselves" would distinguish the methods by which 800-TAX REFUND, Inc. carries out its mission.
 

Filing Taxes Electronically Since Tax Year 1989

When electronic tax filing was introduced nationwide in 1990, Messrs. Lavrisha and Dimengo embraced the new technology as a solution for many of the problems taxpayers encounter with the IRS. Although taxpayers would still be burdened by the preparation of their taxes, at least now the problems associated with the processing of their already-prepared tax returns would be greatly reduced via an electronic system. The two entrepreneurs combined their resources to form 800-TAX REFUND, Inc., and, in its first year, realized an insatiable demand from taxpayers to have their already-prepared tax returns professionally reviewed and filed.

In the ensuing years the company developed and refined its flagship products for making electronic filing easier and more accessible for taxpayers, when, in January 1998, IRS granted the company the first legislative privilege of its kind: the authority to accept fax signatures in lieu of original signatures.


Our Mission

Today's tax laws have gotten so complex that over 60% of all American taxpayers now pay a tax professional to prepare their taxes. And, yes, even tax professionals make mistakes! We know, because we process many returns prepared by tax professionals.

Whether your tax return is self-prepared or professionally prepared, we would encourage you to file your tax return electronically through an experienced, reputable source -- one that is willing to invest in the right technologies to make the process convenient, easy, and safe, for you.

2008 marks the eleventh consecutive year that 800-TAX REFUND, Inc. has earned an IRS Industry Partner award, a distinction that just two other companies have achieved.