People across America, who are cash-strapped, anxious for tax refunds have been turning to costly services like payment advances and prepaid cards when it comes about getting tax preparation help, as per new federal data raising concerns among regulators about whether customers have information about the fees.

Regulators across the country have been planning to increase oversight of tax preparers in the middle of rise in ‘refund anticipation checks’, which is famous among low-income families who receive federal government’s $65 billion cash benefit program, Earned Income Tax Credit. The advances like ‘refund anticipation checks’ have been marketed as a method to fast and easy refunds.

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which ensures that financial products and services work for consumers, there are some consumers in the country who have complaints about refund anticipation checks focused on fees, advertising and quality of service. The independent agency of the United States government stated that it has been settling the first rules on prepaid debit cards.

The Associated Press stated that as per the IRS data, refund anticipation checks increased to approximately 21.6 million in 2014. The rise was 17% up from 2011. According to the data, about 50% of the consumers are Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC, recipients. In addition, 84% of the purchasers are low-income.

Prepaid cards and refund anticipation checks make about 10% of H&R Block’s revenue and over 20% Liberty Tax Service’s revenue, as per earnings reports. The companies said that the payment advances offer added value like convenience.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), revenue service of the United States federal government, has been putting pressure on Congress to regulate the $10.1 billion tax preparation industry after last year a court banned it from having tax preparers to undergo background checks and testing.