Reveal Marketing Research Study: 1 in 3 Romanians have never redirected the 3.5% of their income tax, and this year’s deadline is May 25

Reveal Market Resources, study no. 195

The most recent Reveal Marketing Research study analyzed the attitudes and behaviors of Romanians regarding the redirection of 3.5% of income tax, in the context in which the deadline for filling in the form is May 25, 2025. After this date, the amount will be automatically directed to the state budget.

• 67% of Romanians in urban areas have redirected 3.5% of their income tax at least once, to a significantly greater extent those aged 35-44 (80%).
• Romanians prefer to redirect the tax mainly to NGOs for children and education (39%), individual medical cases (37%) and churches or parishes (18%).
• Most Romanians choose to fill out Form 230 online (43%) or to submit it in physical format at the headquarters of the chosen NGO/church (39%).
• The redirection of the tax is strongly influenced by personal relationships: 6 out of 10 Romanians were asked by someone they know to fill in Form 230.
• 90% of Romanians believe that redirecting 3.5% of the tax is useful, and 82% trust that the money reaches the right destination.

33% of Romanians have never redirected 3.5% of their income tax

According to the latest study conducted by Reveal Marketing Research, 83% of Romanians in urban areas are familiar with the possibility of redirecting up to 3.5% of their income tax to a non-profit cause, by filling out Form 230.

67% of Romanians say they have redirected at least once 3.5% of their income tax, this behavior being significantly more widespread among people aged 35-44 (80%). Of those who redirected, 43% made this gesture an annual habit, compared to 24% who fill out the form only occasionally.

On the other hand, 33% of Romanians have never redirected 3.5% of their income tax, the percentage being significantly higher among young people aged 18-24 (58%).

With regard to sources of information, most Romanians found out about Form 230 for the first time from a friend or relative (26%), the employer (25%) or directly from a NGO (19%).

“The results of the study show that Romanians are open to redirecting the 3.5% of income tax, especially when they know the cause or at the urging of acquaintances. In this context, U&A and Segmentation studies are valuable tools for NGOs, helping them to understand in depth the typologies of donors, their motivations and to identify the most effective communication strategies to increase income tax redirection,” said Marius Luican, General Manager of Reveal Marketing Research.

59% of Romanians were asked by someone they know to fill in Form 230

The analysis shows that, in general, tax redirection is strongly influenced by personal relationships. 59% of Romanians have been asked by someone they know to fill in the form,  a percentage that rises to 65% in the case of young people aged 25-34, to 69% for those between 35-44 years old, and among people with monthly incomes of over 5,000 lei it reaches 79%.

Those who filled out the form most frequently directed the amounts to NGOs for children and education (39%), to individual medical cases (37%) and to churches or parishes (18%).

The analysis by socio-demographic segments shows that NGOs that support children and education are preferred to a greater extent by people who have children (44%), while NGOs for animal protection are preferred by young people aged 18-24 and those without children – both categories registering a percentage of 17%,  compared to 10% for the entire sample.

The preferred submission procedure is online (43%), and 39% choose to submit it in physical format, directly at the NGO or church headquarters.

90% of Romanians believe that redirecting 3.5% of the tax is useful, and 82% trust that the money reaches the right destination

90% of Romanians believe, to a large extent and to a very large extent, that the mechanism of redirecting 3.5% of income tax is useful and effective for supporting civil society, and 82% are confident that the amounts reach the right destination.

The main factors that would motivate Romanians to fill in the referral form again include direct knowledge of a cause that needs support (53%), simplifying the process of filling in and submitting (37%), access to more information about how this mechanism works and why it is important (32%) and a promotion more efficient in the media (31%).

As a trend, people over 55 are more interested in knowing directly the cause that needs support (63%). Those who have not filled in the form so far want, to a greater extent, that it is easier to fill in  (40%) and to receive more information about how it works and why this mechanism is important (40%).  At the same time, young people aged 25-34 (36%), as well as those who have filled in the form at least once so far (36%), consider better promotion in the media to be important.

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About Reveal Marketing Research

Reveal Marketing Research is a full-service market research company, specialized in marketing research, sociological studies, customer insight, business strategy, market development. With expertise in over 20 industries, Reveal Marketing Research believes that market research is the basis for the right decisions and brand positioning. Qualitative and quantitative solutions have been helping companies in Romania and other European countries for 16 years.

Reveal Market Resources, study no. 195: Reveal Market Resources is a data hub that includes free studies published in order to support the marketing and communication market in Romania.

Methodology: The Reveal Marketing Research study was conducted online between 09.05-15.05.2025 on a representative sample for the universe of people aged 18+, internet users, in urban areas. The sample size was 1008 respondents, and the maximum sampling error is +/-3.1% at a 95% confidence level.