How Will People Spend Their 2017 Tax Refunds? Who’s Buying What With The Cash

Doing your taxes can be a chore, but for those receiving a tax refund in 2017, reaping the rewards of a little cash could lead to fantasies of how to spend it.

While some might want to put the funds toward smaller purchases like a new pair of shoes or a nice dinner out, and others might put the funds toward a trip, recent reports reveal a very different way in which Americans are looking to use their refunds this year.

For those expecting a tax return this season, many are actually planning on stashing the cash by putting the money in savings. Bankrate.com found that 34 percent of those expecting a refund planned on saving or investing the money, a report released Monday indicated. Six percent of those surveyed planned on putting their refund toward a major splurge — a vacation or a shopping spree, for example — while 29 percent planned on using the money for everyday items like utility bills and food, and 27 percent wanted to use the funds to pay down debt.

The online personal finance destination tapped Princeton Survey Research Associates International to conduct the survey, which noted that 47 percent of taxpayers expected to receive a refund for this year, and millennials had the highest percentage of those expecting a refund.

“Millennials are actually the age group most likely to have already filed their 2016 returns, and the age group most likely to save or invest their refund,” Sarah Berger, a “cashlorette” with Bankrate.com, said in a release. “This shows a sense of responsibility and overall financial savviness among young adults.”

It would seem that conservative spending and saving is a trend across the board for 2017. The National Retail Federation conducted its own tax survey to better determine consumer spending behaviors during and after tax season, and its results produced similar results.

“Financial security continues to be top-of-mind for all Americans, and consumers are hanging onto their tax refunds tighter than ever,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a statement following the survey’s release last month.

The NRF survey concluded that of the 66 percent of those who expected a refund, 20.9 percent of those surveyed would be putting the money toward everyday expenses while 48 percent planned on putting the money toward savings, and 35.5 percent of those surveyed planned on paying down debt.

So for those who actually plan on spending their refunds this year, the question is: What exactly will they be shopping for?

The NRF revealed 10.7 percent planned on putting the funds toward a vacation, nearly 9 percent planned on making major purchases like furniture, a car or a television, and nearly 8 percent planned on buying “splurge” items like clothes, a salon or spa visit, or eating out.