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More Than Half of Americans Believe They Pay Too Much in Taxes

Forty-seven percent say their tax bill is unfair

AP
April 15, 2016

More than half of Americans—57 percent—believe they pay too much in income taxes, according to a poll from Gallup.

The percentage of people saying they pay too much is the highest in 15 years and has increased by six percentage points from last year.

"The results, from an April 6-10 Gallup poll, mark the first time since a major tax cut was enacted during the Bush administration in 2001 that more than 53% of Americans have said their taxes are to high," the Gallup report stated. "In three years during that time (2003, 2009 and 2012), Americans were more likely to say they were paying the right amount than to say they were paying too much."

Another 47 percent of Americans believe that their tax bill is unfair, which represents the highest percentage since 1999.

"Americans clearly have grown unhappier about their taxes in the past year," Gallup stated. "In looking at this year’s increase in the number of people who think they pay the federal government too much in income taxes, it’s important to remember that it comes after a period of historically low unhappiness with tax payments."

A higher percentage of Republicans, 73 percent, believe they pay too much in taxes. Forty-four percent of Democrats shared that belief.

"In 2015, a minority of those under 30 (38%) thought that they were paying too much—the lowest of all age groups—but now a majority in this age group (55%) feel that way," the report stated.

Published under: Taxes