Use this framework to allocate your refund across goals and calculate the 12-month financial impact of each choice.
Refund Allocation Worksheet
Enter your estimated refund and see how different allocations affect your net worth over 12 months.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter your estimated refund (use our Refund Estimator if unsure)
- Enter your highest-interest debt APR and balance
- Enter current high-yield savings APY (check current rates)
- Estimate business ROI (service businesses typically see 50–100% first-year ROI if executed well)
- Click Calculate to see the 12-month impact of each strategy
Understanding the Results
All to Debt: Guaranteed return equal to your APR. If your credit card is 24% APR, paying it off is a guaranteed 24% return — better than any stock market average.
All to Savings: Safe but slow. At 4.5% APY, $3,000 earns $135 in year one. Good for emergency funds, poor for wealth building.
All to Business: Highest potential return but highest risk. A $3,000 pressure washing business could generate $15,000+ in year one — or $0 if you don't execute.
40/40/20 Split: Balances risk and return. Protects your foundation while building future income.
Get the Full Playbook
The Tax Refund Seed Playbook includes advanced allocation models, business budget templates, and a 90-day action plan.
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