Poll Americans Split on Whether Taxes Are Just Right or Too High
Who’s complaining about taxes on the eve of the filing deadline tomorrow? Fewer than the number that used to gripe about them, it seems, but whether you do or don’t depends on your paycheck and how you vote.
A Gallup poll out today reveals that the percentage of people who believe the level of taxes that they pay are fair (47 percent) narrowly edges past those who believe their taxes are too high (46 percent.) Just three percent believe they are paying too little.
“Americans’ perceptions about their taxes were much more negative in 2000 and 2001, but that was prior to the implementation of former President George W. Bush’s first round of federal tax cuts,” the article notes. “Since those tax cuts took effect, Americans have been more content with what they pay, although this year’s results are among the most positive.”
Low-income adults with household incomes of $30,000 or below appear to be the least satisfied with what they pay in taxes, as 50 percent say their taxes are too high, and 44 percent say they are about right or too low. The level of unhappiness among this group figure has gone up between 2009 and 2011.
By contrast, Americans earning $75,000 or more are almost evenly divided about their tax bill, and middle-income earners ($30,000 to $74,999) tilt toward being satisfied, with 54 percent saying their taxes are either about right or too low.
The Gallup poll found that those polled about taxes were also split by political party: The majority of Democrats (56 percent) are satisfied with what they pay, while 6 percent think they should pay more. As for Republicans and independents, the majority (54 percent and 50 percent, respectively) believe they are paying too much.