51% of People Will Save Their Tax Refund, 17% More Than Last Year

As the famed Benjamin Franklin quote (loosely) goes: In this world, nothing is certain except for death and taxes. However, which of those certainties is the one more upsetting is up for debate; apparently, a sizable chunk of our readers (a whopping 32%, to be exact) fear the sight of 1040s and tax software more than the Grim Reaper himself — which means the impending tax season may be spreading some serious gloom across the nation.

And while another 23% of people actually said that they’d rather get a root canal than do their taxes, the process doesn’t actually seem all that bad this time around. Last year, the average tax refund for an individual was $2,872. If that holds even remotely consistent this year, then a lot of you will have some serious dough in your pocket soon.

What has changed this year, however, is what everyone is planning on doing with that refund. In fact, 51% of our readers said that they would save the majority of their refund, up by a full 17% year-over-year.

Conversely, only 9% of respondents said they would spend it, which is down 13% from last year.

Clearly the consensus is that it’s a good time to remain frugal, and perhaps sock money away for a rainy day.

For some more interesting tidbits from our tax day survey, check out the complete infographic below. And then be sure to let us know what you plan to do with your refund this year (if you’re getting one) in the comment section below!