The Taxing Conversation of Money: Study Reveals Financial Prowess of Singles in Advance of Tax Day

LOS ANGELES, April 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With Tax Day just around the corner, Plenty of Fish (POF), one of the largest global online dating companies, surveyed 3,000 singles across the U.S. to uncover the finer points of taxes and finances. Results show that singles are taking an informed and balanced approach to their refunds – but those who do spend are likely to splurge on cars and vacations – and pay bills.

The study also revealed that for most singles, the truth still prevails when it comes to dating and money: more than 85 percent of singles said they don't lie about how much they make, and fewer than two percent make less money than they claim to make. However, 22 percent of women said they would not date someone who makes less money than them.

Savvy Spenders and Savers

• Only 11 percent of singles said they spend their tax refund, while 65 percent said they like to save some and spend some.
• Nearly 26 percent of men said they save their tax refund, compared to less than 20 percent of women.
• More than 34 percent of baby boomers save their tax refund, making them almost twice as likely to save their refund than any other age group.

Treat Yourself
When asked about the craziest thing they have spent their refund on, write-in responses from singles ran the gamut between practical and NSFW – and highlight a Mars versus Venus divide.

• Car Parts: More than 190 men claimed their craziest tax return spend was on a car – the highest response by far.
• Vegas Baby: Vacations made the top three, but Las Vegas hit the jackpot – 27 men and 8 women claimed this popular destination as their "craziest tax refund spend."
• Get Inked: 38 singles got tattoos with their refund, with women out-inking men 22 to 16.
• Honorable Mention: 24k gold grill for teeth, 10 gallons of beef jerky, skydiving lessons… and a horse.

Fast and Informed Filers

• Twenty-eight percent of singles file their taxes in January, as soon as they get their forms, while fewer than 10 percent of singles said they file on Tax Day.
• The fastest filers are 20-somethings: 35 percent said they are likely to file as soon as they get their forms, versus only 18 percent of baby boomers.
• When asked how they would rate their understanding of the tax filing process, 23 percent of singles said they had excellent knowledge, 34 percent said good and 33 percent said average.

Additional Tax Takeaways

• On average, only four percent of men and women have looked at a partner's tax return behind their back. Coming in at around five percent, men 35-44 and women 45-54 are most likely to peek.
• The percentage of singles who have charitable write-offs increases in every decade of life – with only 27 percent of twenty-somethings taking advantage of this tax write-off, versus 54 percent of baby boomers.
• More than five percent of men and almost eight percent of single women don't file taxes.

For Most Singles, Money isn't Everything

• A whopping 89 percent of singles said they would date someone who made less money than them.
• Women tend to be less forgiving on the financial front. More than 96 percent of men said they would date someone who makes less money than them, but nearly 22 percent of women said they would not date someone who makes less money than them.
• Women 26-34 are most likely to date someone who makes less than them (83 percent), compared to other female age groups.

For those ready to dive deep into financial conversations on your next date, Plenty of Fish can be downloaded for free from the Google Play and iTunes stores.

About Plenty of Fish (POF)
Plenty of Fish (POF), a Match Group (MTCH) company, is one of the largest global online dating companies. Available in 11 languages and more than 20 countries, Plenty of Fish has more than 100 million registered users, with 65,000 new users signing up every day. Unlike many dating offerings today, POF is all about having great conversations. In fact, singles have more quality conversations on POF than any other dating app, which can lead to stronger connections, smarter matches and better dates. For more information, please visit http://iac.com/brand/match-group, or download POF from Google Play or iTunes.

SOURCE Plenty of Fish (POF)