Thursday, April 15, 2010 1:58 pm

UTICA, New York - Fifty-six percent of U.S. adults describe the tax-filing process as stressful, including 18% who say it is "very stressful" and 45% say they file using a third-party online service or computer software program.

Those are among the results of a Zogby Interactive survey of 3,396 U.S. adults (margin of error is +/- 1.7.)

The poll also found that:

* Sixty percent say they anticipate receiving a refund, or have already received it. The age group most likely to be collecting is the under 30 First GlobalTM generation.

* Six in ten adults had already filed by April 3. When you add those who expect to file by April 15, 88% anticipate they will file on time. Overall, 7% expect to seek an extension. Those under 30 are slightly more likely to have already filed and to file on time. Just 1% overall say they filed late last year and had to pay a penalty.

Most likely to be stressed about filing a tax return are those who do not expect to get a refund and those who had yet to file, both 73%. Also reporting stress at higher rates than others were: Republicans, conservatives, people ages 50-64, adults in households earning more than $100,000, self-indentified investors and those who fill out their own tax forms on paper or go to an accountant.

Nearly one-half of adults (45%) say they file using a third-party online service or computer software program. Next is 26% that use an accountant, 12% who go to a tax service, 10% who fill out paper tax forms by hand and 6% who file through IRS.gov. While young adults are more likely to file online, 33% of those 65 and over say they will as well.