Americans received higher tax refunds than expected — here’s what people are spending the extra cash on

Are “responsible tax refunds” on the rise? A new survey shows taxpayers are more likely to spend their refunds on rent, groceries and other necessities, rather than luxuries.

The poll of 2,000 US taxpayers found nearly two in three (64%) have either already spent their tax refund money or are planning to soon. And all agree their refunds will be spent on necessary purchases.

Commissioned by TaxSlayer and conducted by Talker Research, the two-part study compared Americans’ initial tax refund ambitions pre-Tax Day to their post-Tax Day realities.

Four in five who have already spent their refunds spent it on essentials; top spends include bills like rent (58%), groceries (48%), paying down credit card debt (29%) and home repairs (13%). 

According to a survey, a majority of Americans are planning on spending their tax refunds on necessities. Christopher Sadowski

Likewise, 72% who haven’t already spent their refunds are planning to invest it all in necessities.

The study revealed that participants received more than $2,300 on average in their refunds this year — higher than the average $1,700 that was predicted when the first study on this topic was conducted in December 2024.

Six in 10 (61%) said their refunds are an important part of their budgeting plans for 2025; an increase from 52% who felt the same about the role refunds played in their 2024 budgeting.

When asked in December, only 22% of Americans believed they would receive more this year than last, and 26% believed they would receive less. When asked how much they actually received, one-third (32%) said they received more this year than last year, while 28% reportedly received less.

The primary reasons people believe they received more this year were: working more (37%), adjustment of deductions or withholdings (31%), and getting a pay raise or promotion (16%).

Meanwhile, participants who received a smaller refund amount believe it was likely due to losing work (29%), moving to a higher tax bracket (21%) and having dependents age out of eligibility (11%).

Sixty-two percent felt happy and surprised by the amount they received; another major increase from last year, when a mere 40% recalled feeling happy with their 2024 tax refund.

“This study confirms that people are strategic about how they use their tax refunds in general,” said Seth Babb, Head of Consumer Product at TaxSlayer. “By planning ahead, you can focus on what’s essential and be intentional about your spending decisions.”

The study also revealed the filing habits of taxpayers. In December, 43% of respondents said they were planning to file their taxes early and 54% were planning to file on time. 

In reality, 41% filed early and 57% filed on time. Only 2% said they asked for an extension.

Respondents from the previous survey shared they were motivated to file early because it meant receiving their refund earlier, not needing to deal with Tax Day stress and having filed early in 2024.

The pattern is largely set to continue for the year ahead. Respondents said they’ll likely file early in 2026 because it means getting their refund earlier (47%), they want to avoid stress (29%), they filed early this year (18%) and they’ll be able to spend their refund sooner (18%).

A large majority of respondents (89%) said they filed their taxes the same way this year as they did last year. As an indicator, the December study found people were most likely to use DIY tax software (37%) or file manually using paper forms (19%).

However, 10% said they’ll be doing something different next year. In 2026, they said they’ll try filing online (40%), seek out a CPA (27%) or use a different tax preparation software (16%).

“It’s always a good idea to file early,” Babb emphasized. “Getting your taxes done early means you have more time to plan, more options, and a clearer financial picture for the year ahead.”

WHAT WERE THE ACTUAL TOP NECESSITIES PEOPLE SPENT THEIR REFUNDS ON?

Respondents were asked to choose all the necessities they spent their refunds on. Here’s what they said:

NECESSITIES

• Bills, like rent and utilities – 58%
• Groceries and essential goods – 48%
• Credit card debt – 29%
• Home repair/improvement – 13%
• Miscellaneous spending – 10%
• Savings accounts – 7%
• Childcare costs – 4%
• Paying down student debt – 3%