FINDLAY, Ohio (March 1, 2008) – A new opinion survey conducted by Corporate Research International (CRI), a leader in tracking national trends, issues and quality service, shows that most consumers plan to use money from tax returns to pay down debt instead of spend it on splurges or vacations. According to the survey, 43 percent of respondents said that if they receive a tax return, they will use it to pay off debt. Twenty-two percent said they will “spend some, save some” and 14 percent said they will save all of the money. Only 4 percent said they will spend their tax return on a big-ticket item or a vacation. “This survey shows that saving money and taking care of personal finances are top of mind for consumers this tax season,” said Mike Mallett, CEO of Corporate Research International. “Retailers will have to work harder this spring and summer and offer some bigger incentives to attract these consumers into the marketplace.” The survey also found that the majority of consumers will not be waiting until the last minute to file their taxes this year. Nearly 90 percent of consumers said they plan to get their taxes done before the end of March. Nearly half of respondents (48 percent) said they plan to do their taxes on their own, using tax return software on their computer. Twenty-eight percent of consumers said they would spend up to $50 to have their taxes filed for them. However, nearly the same number (27 percent) said they aren’t willing to spend any money to have their taxes filed for them. |
