It will pay off a balance on a credit card that’s about to start charging interest. Boring, but helpful!
Last year I got a higher refund than I had expected, partly because I had been having too much withheld from my wages and then ended up not having any capital gain from the sale of my house.
This year is going to be a crapshoot. Early in the year I had invested a good chunk of money into mutual funds, and then in December received a higher capital gains distribution from them than I had expected. The tax withholding from my pension may or may not be enough to cover the additional capital gains tax; I haven’t tried to run the numbers yet.
I also might owe state taxes that I wasn’t expecting because of this. My federal pension isn’t considered taxable income by NC, but I think I might owe taxes on the capital gains and dividends.
Especially when it’s called a “windfall”. Usually, I think of a windfall as coming into some money serendipitously, money that you otherwise did not earn and would not have had.
Usually, I just bank/invest my refund. In a few wilder years, I’d spend 10% and bank/invest the rest. But, I’m thinking this year, maybe I’ll spend the whole shebang. So here’s what I’ll get, if I go crazy: a new TV, a DVD player, a new PC, a nice chef’s knife, a recliner, and a new bathroom (tub, toilet, sink, pipe, fittings, and any needed tools that I don’t already have).
I don’t think that there is any way (in Massachusetts at least) for me to avoid getting a refund. No matter how I adjust my withholding, I end up with a refund of about $100 or so. So, it looks like I’ll get to fill up my gas tank a few times.
I’m hoping that I will owe the federal government money. With any luck, $1000 or more. That means that I’ve had the money instead of them, and I’m the one who’s earned the interest on it (as pitiful as that rate is). I’m fortunate enough to have saved the money to cover it, so why not? The check will be sent to them promptly on April 14.
Because I can’t afford to buy 20 every year. More’s the pity.
I’ll probably just send the check back to the government, get a head start on things to come 
Or buy a set of tires.
Last year I bought a new computer, this year I’m thinking of getting contacts and putting the rest in the car fund.
If my tax refund is as large and juicy as I’m hoping, I plan to pay off a credit card that’s been hemorraging me for a couple of years, then buy myself a real nice amp for my guitar habit - maybe a Bogner or ENGL.
I don’t expect to get much of a refund this year, but whatever there is will go toward bills.
We’re not sure at this point how much to expect back, but if it’s as sizable as last year we’re going to work on our back yard (retaining wall, patio, GRASS instead of mud!).
I have an old 77 Honda motorcycle I want to get up and running.
Something wild and crazy; paying bills and the rest goes into my saving account.
I like to be pleasantly surprised by my refund. Last year it was $1600 and this year some online refund estimator told me over $3000 for federal alone. I’ll believe it when I see it!
Whatever it is, it’s going right in to the “no interest until June 2008!” air conditioner fund and the rest to pay off credit cards. Whoooeeee!!
I’m estimating about a $750 refund from some rough calculations I did. That’ll go toward paying for household stuff, likely paying off the new washer and dryer.
Paying off our debts as we work our debt snowball. We should be able to pay one of them off completely and put a huge dent in another.
I’m going to try and save as much of mine as possible. I’m trying to save up enough money to visit my boyfriend in October. Long-distance relationship and all. If only flying wasn’t so expensive.
This is the first year I’ve owned a house so I should be getting back a goodly chunk of change. I’m just gonna stick it in the bank 'cause I’m really worried that I’m gonna need some sort of emergency foundation repair or somehting equally expensive.
Last year, I got back 1400 bucks, and IIRC I put all but 300 bucks into my ING savings account. Probably will do the same thing this year and drink away the “fun” money at my local bar.
If I calculated things correctly last year, we shouldn’t be getting any refund, nor should we be paying. That’s the way I like it - ending up within $100 of what we owe. We shall see how it works out.