The season for signing up for bank products has opened with refund loans a thing of the past. With even refund transfers under attack in the courts, providers are looking ways to meet demand to get cash to taxpayers quickly. Liberty Tax announced this morning its pilot cash advance program would be offered nationally and there have been companies exploring use of tribal banks to get around the federal crackdown that led to the death of refund anticipation loans,

Intuit's first year of providing professional tax advice to TurboTax customers was a success, although not as much as the company liked. But in this week's earnings webcast, CEO Brad Smith gave no doubt that the program is likely to help his company attract tax filers now using the services of CPAs.