Tax season 2024 – Insights into Americans' filing experiences and outcomes
A new YouGov Self-serve survey reveals insights into how Americans felt about filing their taxes this year.
While two thirds (66%) expressed satisfaction with their overall tax filing experience, not all shared this sentiment. One in five adults were not satisfied with their tax filing experience this year. This dissatisfaction was more pronounced among males, with 24% expressing discontent, compared to 15% of females. Young adults, particularly those aged 18-29, reported the highest level of discontent at 30%, significantly higher than other age groups.
Regarding the satisfaction with the outcomes of their tax returns, three in 10 Americans were not satisfied (29%). Here again, males exhibited higher dissatisfaction (33%) compared to females (26%). The discontent rates also varied with age, with younger adults aged 18-29 and middle-aged adults in the 45-64 age group feeling more disappointed, reporting dissatisfaction rates of 30% and 38%, respectively. In contrast, only 21% of those aged 65 and over were not satisfied with the outcome of their tax returns.
The methods used for filing taxes varied, with the majority (55%) using online tax services, software, or websites. This preference increased with the age group 30-44, where 65% used digital means. In contrast, the older age group (65+) showed a higher preference (31%) for hiring a private tax accountant or professional.
Among those who used online services, TurboTax was the most popular, chosen by half of Americans (52%). H&R Block, despite a service outage on the last day of filing, was used by 16%. This issue might have affected last-minute filers.
The survey highlights a clear divide in tax filing satisfaction across different demographics in the US, with noticeable differences in dissatisfaction among genders and age groups. Online filing of tax dominates especially among younger and middle-aged Americans, while older adults show a greater tendency to rely on professional tax preparers.
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Methodology: YouGov polled 500 US adults online on 17 April 2024. The survey was carried out through YouGov Surveys: Self-serve. Data is weighted by age, gender, race, political affiliation, education level and region. The margin of error is 4% for the overall sample. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Self-serve.