With Tax Day looming large and sweeping tax reform passed in recent months, our friends at WalletHub shared with us their 2018 Taxpayer Survey and yearly Tax Rates by State report to help taxpayers better understand taxes during this confusing time of the year.
About the Taxpayer Survey
WalletHub’s Taxpayer Survey features a wide range of fun facts about people’s opinions on tax prep, the IRS and more. The tax rate report also compares the cost of the average person’s various obligations in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The survey found that states with no income tax are not always the cheapest overall, as they tend to have higher sales and property taxes.
Find more highlights from both below, followed by the full list of WalletHub’s 2018 taxpayer resources:
2018 Taxpayer Survey
Fewer than 4 in 10 people are happy with President Trump’s tax reforms. 69% of people think the reforms are better for corporations than consumers, and 67% think they benefit the rich more than the middle class.
90% of people think the government does not spend well their tax dollars wisely.
30% of people fear making a math mistake for Tax Day , edging out not having enough money (29%) atop the list.
37% of people would move to a different country for a tax-free future. 24% would get an “IRS” tattoo, 22% would switch political parties, and 15% would take a vow of celibacy.
29% of people like their in-laws more than the IRS, 13% prefer cold showers, and 9% would take a traffic jam.
Tax Day is just around the corner and Plenty of Fish (POF), one of the largest global online dating companies, surveyed 3,000 singles across the U.S. to uncover the finer points of taxes and finances.
Key Findings
Only 11 percent of singles said they spend their tax refund, while 65 percent said they like to save some and spend some
When it comes to dating and money, 22 percent of women said they would not date someone who makes less money than them
More than 85 percent of singles said they tell the truth about how much they make, and fewer than 2 percent make less money than they claim to make
38 singles spent their tax refund on a tattoo, with women out-inking men 22 to 16
Additional data and findings are available on this infographic, including the craziest things singles have spent their tax refund on (download graphic here).
Savvy Spenders and Savers
Nearly 26 percent of men said they save their tax refund, compared to less than 20 percent of women.
More than 34 percent of baby boomers save their tax refund, making them almost twice as likely to save their refund than any other age group.
Treat Yourself
When asked about the craziest thing singles have spent their refund on, write-in responses from them ran the gamut between practical and NSFW – and highlight a Mars versus Venus divide.
Car Parts: More than 190 men claimed their craziest tax return spend was on a car – the highest response by far.
Vegas Baby: Vacations made the top three, but Las Vegas hit the jackpot – 27 men and 8 women claimed this popular destination as their “craziest tax refund spend.”
Get Inked: 38 singles got tattoos with their refund, with women out-inking men 22 to 16.
Honorable Mention:24k gold grill for teeth, 10 gallons of beef jerky, skydiving lessons… and a horse.
Fast and Informed Filers
Twenty-eight percent of singles file their taxes in January, as soon as they get their forms, while fewer than 10 percent of singles said they file on Tax Day.
The fastest filers are 20-somethings: 35 percent said they are likely to file as soon as they get their forms, versus only 18 percent of baby boomers
When asked how they would rate their understanding of the tax filing process, 23 percent of singles said they had excellent knowledge, 34 percent said good and 33 percent said average.
Additional Tax Takeaways
On average, only four percent of men and women have looked at a partner’s tax return behind their back. Coming in at around five percent, men 35-44 and women 45-54 are most likely to peek.
The percentage of singles who have charitable write-offs increases in every decade of life – with only 27 percent of twenty-somethings taking advantage of this tax write-off, versus 54 percent of baby boomers.
More than five percent of men and almost eight percent of single women don’t file taxes.
For Most Singles, Money isn’t Everything
A whopping 89 percent of singles said they would date someone who made less money than them.
Women tend to be less forgiving on the financial front. More than 96 percent of men said they would date someone who makes less money than them, but nearly 22 percent of women said they would not date someone who makes less money than them.
Women 26-34 are most likely to date someone who makes less than them (83 percent), compared to other female age groups.
For those ready to dive deep into financial conversations on their next date, Plenty of Fish can be downloaded for free from the Google Play and iTunes stores. For more details on the survey view here.
About Plenty of Fish (POF)
Plenty of Fish (POF), a Match Group (MTCH) company, is one of the largest global online dating companies. Available in 11 languages and more than 20 countries, Plenty of Fish has more than 100 million registered users, with 65,000 new users signing up every day. Unlike many dating offerings today, POF is all about having great conversations. In fact, singles have more quality conversations on POF than any other dating app, which can lead to stronger connections, smarter matches and better dates. For more information, please visit here or download POF from Google Play or iTunes.