Taxpayers Plan to Use Tax Refunds for Necessary Expenses

About 52 percent of Americans intend to spend their annual tax refund on necessary expenses such as loans, credit cards and other household expenses, while another 30 percent plan to put the money into savings and only 8 percent plan to invest the tax refund money, according to a new survey.

The survey, released Tuesday by the financial services firm Edward Jones, contrasts with a similar survey released Monday by TD Ameritrade, which found greater interest in investing tax refunds, at least among the investors who were polled (see Many Plan to Invest Their Tax Refunds).

The Edward Jones survey polled over 1,000 taxpayers in general. It found that the respondents between the ages of 55 and 64 are most likely to save their refund (43 percent). Respondents who are just a few years younger had a much different opinion, with only 25 percent of those between 45 and 54 years of age planning to save their tax refunds. The survey’s youngest respondents, those between the ages of 18 and 34, are most likely to spend their refund checks on “fun” things such as clothes, entertainment and restaurants (12 percent). This compares to just 5 percent of those 65 and older who would do the same.

Household income has the most influence on the decision to save, spend or invest a tax refund in 2014. Survey respondents with the lowest household income (those making less than $35,000 a year) are the most likely to spend their tax refund on necessary expenses (61 percent). This compares to just over one-third (37 percent) of those with the highest household income ($100,000 or more). The wealthiest respondents are not the most likely to invest their refunds, the survey found. Instead, those with household incomes between $50,000 and $75,000 were the most likely to invest the tax refund money.

In general, households with children are the most likely to spend their tax refunds on everyday expenses, and those with older children are even more likely. Following that point, Americans with no children are the most likely (10 percent) to spend their tax refund on something “fun,” whereas only 1 percent of those with children ages 13 to 17 are willing to splurge.

Americans living in the Northeast are the most likely to invest their tax refunds (11 percent). Those who live in the West are the most likely simply to save their tax refunds (35 percent).

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