Canadians appear well prepared for tax season, according to a survey commissioned by TransUnion regarding attitudes toward finances and tax time plans.

The overwhelming majority of Canadians, 78%, consider themselves to be planners when it comes to money matters.

When asked about their financial philosophy, 46% of Canadians consider themselves “long haulers,” that is, they devise and adhere to long-term plans for their money.

One-third of Canadians (32%), say they are “baby steppers,” setting short-term goals and sticking to them, while 15% consider themselves “finger crossers,” meaning that they get by day-by-day and hope for the best.

Just 3% say they are “dice rollers,” making risky moves in hopes of big returns.

“Canadians should give themselves a big pat on the back,” says Tom Reid, Director, Consumer Solutions at TransUnion.ca. “Setting financial plans and goals is a critical step in building a stable financial future and can greatly assist consumers in meeting their ongoing credit obligations.”

Among subgroups of Canadians, the survey finds a direct correlation between age, family income and their financial philosophy.

For example, the proportion of “long haulers” increases with age and family income, while the number of “baby steppers” decreases with age and family income;

Although the proportion of “finger crossers” does not vary by sex or age, holding to this philosophy occurs more than twice as often among households with less than $60,000 in income than among households with $60,000 or more in income.

When asked about their tax plans, just 6% say they plan to file their taxes late this year.

“We also found that nearly six in 10 Canadians — 57% — plan to file electronically this year,” adds Reid.

The survey finds that Canadians’ tax plans directly coincided with their fiscal philosophy. “Long haulers” are the most likely to say they filed or plan to file their 2008 taxes early. More than half of “baby steppers” and “finger crossers,” that is, Canadians who are more focused financially on the here and now, say they plan to file their taxes on time.

GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media conducted this study using Random Digit Dialing (RDD) methodology from March 20-26, 2008. A total of 1,000 interviews were conducted among adults across Canada. The margin of error for the complete sample is +/- 3 percentage points. The margin of error for subgroups may be higher.