Houston: Most Tax Procrastinating City in America -- Again!

TurboTax Releases Its 6th Annual List of Top 10 Tax Procrastinating Cities; Houston Regains Crown as Tax Procrastinating Capital

SAN DIEGO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

With the tax deadline of April 17 just two weeks away, Intuit (NASDAQ:INTU), the maker of TurboTax(R) products, again tallied last-minute online tax filings to find out which American cities are the biggest procrastinators when it comes to filing federal income tax returns.

The following list includes the Top 10 Tax Procrastinating Cities in America as determined by the number of tax returns electronically filed online via the TurboTax Online service from April 14 - April 17, 2006 (previous year ranking in parenthesis):

1. Houston, Texas -- (#4) Houstonians last led the list during the 2003 tax season. Houston may have been the first word spoken from the surface of the moon, but filing early clearly isn't in the stars for America's fourth largest city.

2. Chicago, Ill. -- (#3) Chicagoans don't like the name "Second City" but in our tax procrastinating poll, that's what the Windy City is. This marks the third year straight that Chicago moved up -- not down -- the list one spot, starting at #4 two years ago.

3. New York, NY. -- (#4) Ok, now Chicago can say they're ahead of New York in something! New Yorkers continue to move up the ominous list -- this time one slot.

4. Austin, Tex. -- (NR) Texas is always good for at least two spots on the Top 10 Procrastinating Cities list and this year is no exception. After a one-year hiatus from the list, Austin is back! Last year's National Championship for the Longhorns may have led to more parties -- and later filing.

5. San Francisco, Calif. -- (#6) San Francisco moves up one spot this year to number five. America's technology hub may build a sense of false security for tax filers who know they can climb online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and file that return right up until the deadline.

6. San Diego, Calif. -- (#1) San Diego, the home of TurboTax, made one of the list's biggest improvements, falling five spots. Understandably, with one of America's highest costs of living, San Diegans want that refund back -- and fast. But they still have a ways to go to drop off our list.

7. San Antonio, Texas -- (NR) Just like everything else, Texans always do it bigger. Even when it comes to tax procrastinating. The River City is our third Texas city on the list after dropping off last year.

8. Seattle, Wash. -- (NR) The Emerald City reappears on the list after a one-year hiatus as well. With more than 75% of Seattle residents having access to the Internet at home, you'd expect them to file earlier. Perhaps it's the ingestion of that great coffee that keeps them burning the midnight oil up until April 17.

9. Phoenix, Ariz. -- (#7) Who can blame Phoenix residents for waiting late until spring to file their taxes? The weather is warming up and Major League Baseball spring training is in full swing. Maybe this year, Valley of the Sun residents can step to the plate a little earlier!

10. San Jose, Calif. -- (#2) There are more technology companies in San Jose than any other part of the world. Home to great companies like Intuit, Apple, Electronic Arts and others, its tech-savvy workforce already knows the power of online tax preparation, making them prime candidates for tax procrastination.

Dropped Out: Atlanta, Georgia; Los Angeles, Calif; and Tucson, Ariz.

    Procrastinating Cities Fast Facts:

    --  California and Texas top the list with three cities each.

    --  San Jose, Calif., had the biggest improvement on the list
        falling from #2 in 2006 to #9 in 2007. San Diego, Calif., was
        second dropping five spots from #1 to #6.

    --  Chicago and Houston have most consistently been at the top of
        the list (Top 4) each year it has been published. Both cities
        have appeared in the Top 4 the last four years.

    --  Los Angeles had been #10 on the list every year it has been
        published except this year. This year, it dropped to #12, just
        behind Las Vegas at #11.

While the residents of these 10 cities may be "tax procrastinators," they've also learned what millions of Americans learn every year -- preparing and filing taxes online using the TurboTax Online service is fast, easy and convenient. Why wait in line for hours at the tax franchise outlet or local post office when you can file your last-minute tax return from the comfort of your own home? Visit www.turbotax.com to prepare and file your taxes -- even if it's at the last minute!

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PRINT ANY OF THE ABOVE INFORMATION FOR EDITORIAL PURPOSES

Source: Intuit

Released March 27, 2007