Tax Prep Survey Results

[TaxLadyinPA]

This is a Survey from an online Survey company. Just thought I'd share the results with you.

Survey Results - Taxes

The use of tax preparation software is on the rise. In a recent survey,

31.4% of respondents said they used tax preparation software on their most recent federal tax return for business income.

14.1% use paper and pencil and

51.1% used a professional book-keeper, accountant or tax company.

We also asked the respondents who used a professional book-keeper, accountant or tax company what their reasons were for doing so. Here's what they had to say:


More cost-effective than to do it in-house 13.4%

Don?t understand how to complete the forms 19.6%

Tax laws and requirements are too complex to do it in-house 46.4%

Would rather rely on a tax professional to assure compliance 70.4%

Tax professional most likely to find the lowest tax owed 35.8%

Other 3.9%

Don't know 0.6%

[erchess]

Questions

Who took the survey, when, and how?

For example many surveys described as "online" are worthless because the questions are answered by whomever came to the website instead of being answered by a randomly selected large group that came close to demographically matching the US taxpaying population.

[TaxLadyinPA]

You are right

but ... It was from one of those *you must register to participate* online survey places. It didn't tell what age group or area the responders were from.

I just thought I'd share what I found.

[thomtax]

Thank you for sharing. I'm always interested, purely from a curiosity standpoint, as to what the different polls show. Although some of the polls hype themselves by all their so called scientific principles, I have dealt with enough of them to know that many of them have the questions worded in such a way to influence the outcome.

For example: If you had been a wife beater and were to stop, which would be the most influential in your decision to stop?
1. Law enforcement was stepped up in this area. 25%
2. Found a new girlfriend and wife no longer matters. 31%
3. Won the lottery and don't have time to bother. 5%
4. Other reasons

Then they can hype the headline "Scientific poll indicates that majority of former wife beaters are unfaithful."

Again thanks for sharing and I will not nit pick you for doing so.

LT

[Y2KEA]

This is a Survey from an online Survey company. Just thought I'd share the results with you.

We also asked the respondents who used a professional book-keeper, accountant or tax company what their reasons were for doing so. Here's what they had to say:


More cost-effective than to do it in-house 13.4%

Don?t understand how to complete the forms 19.6%

Tax laws and requirements are too complex to do it in-house 46.4%

Would rather rely on a tax professional to assure compliance 70.4%

Tax professional most likely to find the lowest tax owed 35.8%

Other 3.9%

Don't know 0.6%

I like how this part adds up to 190.1%

[taxmandan]

Interesting, but not representative of the tax filing population. Most, if not all of the responders are under age 50, computer literate, and check YouTube for their political perspective on life.

[ChEAr$]

not surprising

I like how this part adds up to 190.1%

Many surveys ask for reasons, and choices may be made among the suggestions.
Which explains why some respondents checked multiple items.

[JohnH]

Just more proof of the fact that 90% of all statistics are inaccurate,

[taxxcpa]

Lou Dobbs poll

Thank you for sharing. I'm always interested, purely from a curiosity standpoint, as to what the different polls show. Although some of the polls hype themselves by all their so called scientific principles, I have dealt with enough of them to know that many of them have the questions worded in such a way to influence the outcome.


LT

I notice Lou Dobbs always askes his poll questions so that 90% of the respondents give the answer he wants. For example:
"Are you outraged that illegal aliens are using up our tax money?"

How many people would say, "No l like providing tax money to benefit illegal aliens."

[thomtax]

How about this one during the cold war days

Just more proof of the fact that 90% of all statistics are inaccurate,

Two team track meet where US was first and USSR second.

Headline:
In a track meet held last weekend, the glorious Soviet team finished second while the American team finished next to last.