TD AMERITRADE Tax Refund Poll: This Year, Most Will Invest/Pay Off Debt/Save, Not Spend

Business Wire, April 9, 2008

Tax $$ Should Go to Healthcare

Are Men Becoming More Charitable Than Women?

OMAHA, Neb. -- When asked what they plan to do with their tax refund this year, 85 percent of U.S. adults who expect to receive a refund said they plan to invest it, pay off debt or save it, according to a survey of adults conducted by Harris Interactive for investment firm TD AMERITRADE. About three out of four adults (76 percent) anticipate a tax refund from the government for 2007. Though men and women are equally likely to expect to receive a tax refund this year, men are more likely than women to plan to invest their refund (21 percent men versus 10 percent women).

The following were some of the more unexpected highlights from the survey:

* Turning in an honest tax return may be a higher priority than paying less to the government or to tax preparers. Honesty and experience are the most important qualities in hiring a tax preparation professional -- more important than amount and speed of tax refunds, preparation fees, referrals, customer service or friendliness, according to the survey results. Over half (55 percent) of adults say they already have or anticipate looking for someone to prepare their tax returns for 2007. Adults ages 35 to 44 (64 percent) are most likely to have or anticipate looking for a tax-preparation professional.

* Tax $$s should go to healthcare. If they could choose where their tax money would be spent, adults are most likely to prefer to allocate those funds toward healthcare, followed by education and Social Security. Women are more likely than men to want their tax money to go towards healthcare and Social Security, while men are more likely than women to prefer their taxes be spent on infrastructure and national security.

* Are men becoming more charitable than women? About two in five U.S. adults (42 percent) say they now contribute more to charitable organizations than they did five years ago. Men are more likely than women to say they contribute more of their tax refunds to charitable organizations now versus five years ago (46 percent men versus 39 percent women). Adults ages 35 and older, and those earning $75,000 per year or more, are now more likely to contribute more to charity than they did five years ago.

* Is tax preparation harder/easier now? U.S. adults are divided on whether tax preparation is getting easier or harder than it was five years ago. Adults were equally likely to agree that tax rules were far more difficult to understand this year (43 percent) and that tax preparation was easier this year (44 percent).

About TD AMERITRADE Holding Corporation

TD AMERITRADE Holding Corporation, through its brokerage subsidiaries,1 provides a dynamic balance of investment products and services that make it the investment firm of choice for millions of retail investor and independent registered investment advisor (RIA) clients. Listed by Forbes as one of America's best big companies, the Company offers a full spectrum of investment services, including a leading active trader program, intuitive long-term investment solutions and a national branch system, as well as relationships with one of the largest independent RIA networks.2 The Company's common stock trades under the ticker symbol AMTD. For more information, please visit www.amtd.com.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is the 13th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world. The company provides innovative research, insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what it believes to be the world's largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiaries Novatris in France and MediaTransfer AG in Germany, and through a global network of independent market research firms. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at www.harrisinteractive.com.

Harris Interactive conducted this online survey on behalf of TD AMERITRADE between September 14 and September 18, 2007 among 2,338 U.S. adults ages 18+. Results were weighted as needed for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region, and household income. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical estimates of sampling error can be calculated.

1TD AMERITRADE, Inc., member FINRA (www.FINRA.org) /SIPC (www.SIPC.org), receives clearing and custodial services from TD AMERITRADE Clearing, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. TD AMERITRADE, Inc. and TD AMERITRADE Clearing, Inc. are subsidiaries of TD AMERITRADE Holding Corporation.

2More information on the Forbes award is available at www.forbes.com/platinum.