Tax Refunds Spent on Travel, Poll Says

You know that background you downloaded from Popular Screensavers Info? You remember the one, with white sandy beaches and palm trees and maybe a coconut or two?  Yeah, now you remember. Well, maybe you should pack your bags and use your tax refund to take a vacation to that exotic place. According to a poll from the Los Angeles Times, that’s exactly what many Americans are doing.

Of the nearly 1,000 people who were questioned in the national poll, about 57 percent said part of their refund would be used for a trip. Additionally, 83 percent said they will spend at least as much on travel in 2011 as they did last year.

Maybe that beach in the wallpaper from Popular Screensavers is in Australia. According to another survey, from Travel Leaders, the top destination Americans want to visit is Australia. Italy, Ireland, New Zealand and cruising in the Mediterranean were also top choices. Staying within the United States, the top states to visit are Florida, California and New York. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reports that the average refund for 2010 tax returns is 3,070—sounds like plenty to get a vacation fund started.