SEATTLE, Wash. — Have you filled out your 2021 taxes yet? You aren't alone.
According to a study from IPX1031, Washington residents are the top 10 biggest tax procrastinators in the U.S. among 50 states.
IPX1031 analyzed data from last year's tax season to measure Google searchers for questions like, “What happens if I file my taxes late?”, “When is it too late to file taxes?”, and “Can I file late taxes?”
The study found that 32% of people procrastinate filling out their taxes because they believe they aren't getting a refund, while 25% said they procrastinate because they think it is too complicated or stressful.
Most Americans, 37%, said they are planning on saving their 2021 tax refund, while 22% said they would use it to pay off their debts.
The study also found that millennials are most likely to wait until the last minute to fill their taxes compared to other generations. Half of Americans also said in the survey that they didn't know the tax filing deadline had moved from April 15 to April 18.
According to the study, Nevada, Hawaii and Georgia ranked in the top three for the number of residents who put off filing their taxes. Washington ranked No. 10, just before Florida and after Delaware, while the least procrastinating states were Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan.
When it comes to tax procrastinations by cities, Las Vegas, Denver, Baltimore, Seattle, and Portland are on the top five list. This is not the first time these cities made it into the top five list; in 2021, they ranked very similarly.
The IPX1031 study said data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) found that the average federal tax refund that people received in 2021 was $2,815, $108 more than the previous year. It is expected that Americans will only get a $1,915 return, which is 32% lower than the actual average tax refund.