the buzz log
The Tax Man Cometh
As tax day approaches, dutiful citizens are turning to the Web for assistance. Searches are soaring on forms, laws, and (of course) extensions. Queries on "irs" rank among our top 100 terms (move over Paris Hilton), and computer programs like "turbotax" and "taxcut" are climbing ever higher.
While just about every American has to file a return, searches show west coasters are more diligent in their research. The San Francisco Bay Area ranks first in searches on "taxes," followed by Phoenix, San Diego, Sacramento, and Portland. We were also surprised to see that over 2% of searches come from kids 13 and under. Either child labor laws aren't as tough as we thought, or there are a lot of aspiring accountants out there.
In the end, when it comes to paying taxes, folks mostly just want to know how to minimize the bloodshed. The best (legal) way to do that is through deductions. Below, we've listed the top searches on the subject. Hopefully at least one or two are legit...
Filed under: Taxes
What Part of Refund Don't You Understand?
We hear lots of grumbling about where our "hard-earned taxes" go, but the IRS wants to give some of it back to American taxpayers—$2 billion from 2003 alone. Where are you? Is anybody home? Didn't you get the memo?
Knowing you may be stressed out or busy, we could give you a pass for not claiming your tax refund. But people who left their checks behind have left billions of dollars of unclaimed tax money just lying around.
OK, that's a little harsh, 'cause we know people are at least searching for those unclaimed bucks. That's a healthy start. With the IRS deadline looming for 2003 refunds, "unclaimed funds" (+106%) received a recent boost in Buzz.
Which leads us to wonder what other goods have yet to be united with their rightful owners...
Top 10 Unclaimed searches
Free From Taxes?
We all love to take any tiny opportunity to stick it to The Man. This weekend's brief overthrow of sales tax in select states affords proud Americans the opportunity to buy even more stuff they don't need. We kid, but we're sure sneaky shoppers will use the tax break for reasons other than the intended back-to-school supplies.
Searches on "tax free weekend" are up 112% over the past week as shoppers plan border runs on states offering the purchase perk. For those curious about where to head to participate in this "sales tax holiday," we dug up an informative USA Today article with a full breakdown of participating states. Buzz shows the Lone Star state is due for an influx of bargain buyers, with searches on "texas tax free weekend" leading the parade of states—up 86% this week.
With 14 states ditching sales tax this weekend, searches are all over the map. We've seen large spikes on "georgia tax free weekend," "north carolina tax free weekend," and "tennessee tax free weekend." Other related queries buzzin' up from the bargain bin include: "tax free holiday," "tax free days," "tax free shopping," "tax free school shopping," and "tax free items." Just beware of sharp elbows as you browse the racks, because this weekend promises to be wild at the checkout line.
It's Tax Time
Who would you rather have knocking at your door, the Grim Reaper or an IRS audit squad? Tough call. As the dreaded April 17 deadline looms, a variety of tax-related items, including forms, laws, and preparation software, are seeking loopholes in Search.
Do-it-yourselfers pushed queries on the 1040EZ up 19% into a higher Search bracket. Those in the dark about which form to complete sought "tax forms," inching it 7%. Surprisingly, 65% of the searches on the term came from women (shouldn't it be more like 50/50?). Queries on the scintillating topics of capital gains tax, alternative minimum tax (+42%), and franchise tax board (+55%) also climbed.
When it comes to preparing your annual love letter to the Feds, you can either do it yourself or pass the buck to an accountant. According to Search stats, both are popular. Accountants have charged up 31%, while tax programs like TurboTax and TaxCut are gaining by the day. And as the hours tick away and the deadline draws near, expect searches on "income tax extension" to rise, thanks to all the slackers still looking for their receipts.
top movers
| Rank | Subject | 1-Day Move |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lin Chi Ling | Breakout! |
| 2 | Gloria Diaz | Breakout! |
| 3 | Freida Pinto | 27459% |
| 4 | Gloria Estefan | 9975% |
| 5 | Gloria Velez | 6463% |
| 6 | Gloria Trevi | 3878% |
| 7 | Faith Hill | 2081% |
| 8 | 60 Minutes | 1114% |
| 9 | Alexis Denisof | 994% |
| 10 | Lee Ann Womack | 987% |
top leaders
| Rank | Subject | Move | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NFL | +464 | 575 |
| 2 | Britney Spears | +194 | 316 |
| 3 | Hi-5 | -11 | 244 |
| 4 | Black Friday | +23 | 212 |
| 5 | Freida Pinto | +198 | 199 |
| 6 | UFC | -24 | 194 |
| 7 | Club Penguin | -30 | 161 |
| 8 | Gloria Estefan | +149 | 150 |
what's the buzz?
A subject's buzz score is the percentage of Yahoo! users searching for that subject on a given day, multiplied by a constant to make the number easier to read. Weekly leaders are the subjects with the greatest average buzz score for a given week.
For more detailed information, visit our FAQ.