Avoid swallowing your pencil --
file online!

Fatigued by rising gas prices and sinking home values, millions eagerly anticipate a refund from Uncle Sam.

61.2 percent of consumers have already filed tax returns or will file a return by the end of the month, according to the National Retail Federation, writes MarketingCharts.

Consumers filed earlier this year than last year, the NRF's 2008 Tax Returns Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, found:

• Some 28.5 percent of Americans surveyed said they filed by mid-February, compared with 21.6 percent who said so last year.
• 23.7 percent said they'd file in March; 15.2 percent said they would in April.

Among other findings of the study:

• The convenience of free online tax services will drive nearly half of all American households (49.2 percent) to the computer to file their taxes. The other half (50.8 percent) will file the traditional way and mail it in.
• Seven out of ten consumers are expecting a refund (69.2 percent) when they file their 2007 taxes.
  • Of those expecting a refund, 27.0 percent will spend it on everyday expenses, 12.1 percent will treat themselves to a major purchase and 12.1 percent will take a vacation.
  • Consumers will also pay down their debt with the refunds (46.5 percent saying so vs. 43.1 percent last year).
• For tax preparation:
• One-third of consumers (31.5 percent) will do it themselves using a computer software program.
• Others will do it by hand (14.7 percent), use an accountant (23.5 percent), a tax preparation service (18.7 percent), or have a spouse, friend or other relative handle it (11.6 percent).

About the survey: The NRF 2008 Tax Returns Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted for NRF by BIGresearch, was designed to gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends related to tax returns. The poll of 7,977 consumers was conducted from February 2-12, 2008.