Pew Research reveals the top tax system frustrations among Americans, with most citing that the wealthy and corporations don’t pay their “fair share.”
Pallavi Rao of Visual Capitalist has created a graphic that displays the results of Pew Research regarding the tax system’s top complaints among Americans.
From March 27 to April 2, 2023, over 5,000 American individuals were surveyed, leading to the collection of this data.
To be representative of adult Americans, the survey was weighted. For further information, see the methodology page of Pew Research.
Americans Want More Taxes for Some
Six out of ten Americans believe that the affluent and companies do not pay their “fair share” of federal taxes.
Their feelings are not wholly unjustified.
According to a 2021 ProPublica investigation, some of the richest Americans—who are also among the richest people globally—did not pay any federal income taxes in a few of those years.
This is conceivable in large part because of the many ways that taxes are gathered from different sources. Because a large portion of the wealthiest 1% accumulate their fortune through stocks and real estate, they are not taxed until they deal.
According to this Brookings Institution report, salaries account for the majority of American income and are subject to higher taxes than capital income.
As a result, American households with the highest incomes frequently pay less in taxes than homes with middle-class incomes.
WalletHub’s data-driven map, reported by GreatGameIndia, offers a different perspective on the tax system, illustrating the tax burden across all U.S. states in March 2024. The map highlights the variations in tax obligations, with New York having the highest overall tax burden and Alaska the lowest.
Pew Research concluded by noting that their results have not changed significantly since 2021.
One Response
What really frustrates us isn’t that the rich pay less and the middle class (what’s left of it anyway) pays more. It’s that the IRS exists. Taxation is theft.