Poll: Tax rebate checks unconvincing

Princeton, N.J. -- Rebate checks sent to U.S. taxpayers have done little to convince consumers that the economy is doing well, Gallup researchers said Thursday.

Of those respondents in a recent survey who have received checks, 43 percent indicated the U.S. economy was in "poor" shape, Gallup said. Sixteen 16 percent of the respondents with rebate checks in hand indicated the economy was in "excellent" or "good" shape, Gallup said.

The figures were nearly identical to those who hadn't received checks.

Eighty-eight percent of those who have received checks indicated the economy was getting worse. Those without checks indicated the same view 86 percent of the time, Gallup said.

"Although reports indicate that May retail spending did increase ... rebate penetration was quite low as May began and had only reached about (one-third) of all adults by the time May ended," Gallup said.

"Furthermore," the report said, "an analysis of rebate data shows that there is very little relationship between an individual having received the rebate and a positive change in economic attitude."

The survey of more than 3,000 adults was conducted June 10-16 and carries a margin of error of 2 percentage points, Gallup said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.