Finding Tax Rebate Deals

Now that a rebate check or deposit is headed your way, retailers want to help you figure out what to do with it. Perhaps driven by the fact that only 1 in 5 shoppers expects to actually spend the money, stores are doing what they can to persuade those planning to save it or use it to pay down debt to change their minds.

Retailers ranging from grocery stores to discount shops are posting specials to entice consumers to spend their rebate checks on their products. Here are some of the appealing offers:

• Beginning Friday, Kroger is offering customers the option of exchanging their tax-rebate check for a gift card with an extra 10 percent tacked on. That means consumers with a $300 rebate can get a $330 gift card and those with a $1,200 check can get a $1,320 gift card. That's a lot of free groceries.

• Sears and Kmart have similar deals, with a 10 percent bonus added to gift cards purchased with rebate checks.

• Wal-Mart has offered to cash the rebate checks free of charge, which is particularly useful to taxpayers who lack bank accounts. The company's website reminds shoppers that they can also take advantage of a "special selection" of in-store discounts after getting their cash.

• Home Depot is giving discounts on some of its environmentally friendly products and encouraging shoppers to put their rebates toward going green with a new slogan: "Turn your tax rebate into an update."

If you've spotted other deals in your neighborhood, please let us know.