<prompt> Human: I recently went to a small tax practitioner place to see what I would get. She told me I was going to get very little back. I decided to look around and found a place where I could get substantially more. I went back to the place after making the poor decision to give them my W-2 and they refuse to give it back unless I do my taxes there. Is this legal or can I report this?  <response>: First of all, dont shop around for a place that will give you more refund. Your refund is your refund. If you have a more complex return with different deductions and business expenses, a less knowledgeable accountant might not know which deductions you can take. With a simple return, you will get the same refund. If a place tells you they can get you more, they are doing something you probably dont want them doing with your return i.e. adding charitable contributions that you didnt make if you itemize. If you want to shop around for an accountant you trust, that is different. Just dont decided on an accountant because they say they can get you the most refund.With that said, what they are doing is probably illegal. I really dont know what law they are breaking but they cant hold your paperwork from you and tell you the only way to get it back is to pay them to prepare your return. Tell them you will report them to the AICPA if they are certified, to the IRS, to the attorney general and local PD.One thing you will have to worry about is they have your SSN and all your info. Not that they will do anything with it but it is just something to think about. 