Tax returns: Shopping spree or rainy day fund?

Each spring, American taxpayers prepare to file their annual tax return forms, either looking forward to a refund or dreading the possibility of owing additional taxes. Those that do receive compensation for exceeding their yearly tax burden differ in how they use these tax refunds. Some sock that bonus away into their savings, some put it toward loan payments or other obligations, and others take the opportunity to splurge a little.

Findings in an annual tax return survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics, shown below, shed some light on the current relationship between American consumers and their tax returns.