Poll: Just 1% say they pay less than their fair share of income tax
posted at 2:00 pm on April 11, 2010 by Allahpundit
No typo. Fully 47 percent pay no federal income tax whatsoever and, per the AP, the average household in the bottom 40 percent actually turns a profit. And yet. Replies to the question, “Do you pay your fair share of income taxes?”
2010
About right amount 50%
More than fair share 43
Less than fair share 1
And no, the “less than fair” numbers aren’t dramatically different as incomes go down:
If you think the “over 100K” crowd is grumbly now, check back with them after a few years of Obamanomics. As for the “under 50K” group, the amazing number really isn’t the “less than fair” column; after all, aside from the occasional hyperrich progressive imbecile, no one believes he or she should be paying more tax. The amazing number is, of course, the “more than fair” column. Surely this group forms the bulk of that 47 percent that pays no federal income tax — in fact, a couple with two kids making slightly over $50,000 can now achieve zero federal tax liability — and yet, somehow, 36 percent still say they’re paying too much. Why?
One probable answer: “Income taxes” isn’t the same as “federal income tax.” Trust a New Yorker on that. In New York, the average household in the bottom fifth of income receives a state “refund” equal to 3.5 percent of income. (The average American household in the same category pays 0.2 percent in state income tax.) But as you move up towards the middle class, things get tougher: The average New York household in the middle fifth of income pays 11.6 percent in state and city income tax, with New York City residents reaching the top rate of “personal income tax” (don’t ask) at just $50,000. So the numbers in the CBS poll probably reflect complaints about overall income tax liability, not just the federal variety. Who wants to be the one to tell these fine folks that the states are broke too and will probably have to raise rates before long?
A little further gloss from Rasmussen:
When thinking about all the services provided by federal, state and local governments, 75% of voters nationwide say the average American should pay no more than 20% of their income in taxes. However, the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that most voters (55%) believe the average American actually pays 30% or more of their income in taxes.
Sixty-six percent (66%) believe that America is overtaxed. Only 25% disagree.
Lower income voters are more likely than others to believe the nation is overtaxed.
Again, there may be semantic distortion here. “Overtaxed” refers to more than just income tax, so this could well be a lament about property taxes. At least, I hope so: If it’s sales tax they’re worried about, wait until VAT fee-vah hits full force. Or maybe they’re troubled by the burden of the payroll tax, the lifeblood of Medicare and Social Security. Solving that entitlement crisis is going to be even more fun than we thought!
For your follow-up reading, I offer you Mark Steyn’s reflections on tax season as a spectator sport. Exit quotation: “We are now not merely disincentivizing economic energy but actively waging war on it. If 51 percent can vote themselves government lollipops from the other 49 percent, soon 60 percent will be shaking down the remaining 40 percent, and then 70 percent will be sticking it to the remaining 30 percent. How low can it go?”
Blowback
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I think a lot of people think about the money taken out of every check as how much they pay in taxes, ignoring the refund they get later.
Mark1971 on April 11, 2010 at 2:04 PM
Democrats must continue raising taxes.
Inanemergencydial on April 11, 2010 at 2:05 PM
I was watching Fox this morning and they asked people on the street what a vat tax was. NOT one person knew what it is! If people are not informed, and the msm will probably not do that, they are going to get the biggest rude awakening in their life with a vat tax. That won’t make those ‘not’ paying taxes all that happy!
L
letget on April 11, 2010 at 2:06 PM
Well, there are taxes and then there are taxes-taxes.
Mord on April 11, 2010 at 2:06 PM
I pay less than my fair share: I have federal witholdings every month and then, at the end of the financial year, I get it all back plus some. (I’m part of the bottom half.)
(Is it fair? No. Am I going to pay more out of principle? What do you think?)
Tzetzes on April 11, 2010 at 2:08 PM
Going forward, the message needs to be:
A progressive tax IS a marxist attempt at redistribution.
Progressives of all persuasions need to be tied to their Marxist roots at all times!
Freddy on April 11, 2010 at 2:10 PM
letget on April 11, 2010 at 2:06 PM
Yeah, Rude awakening coming to a voter near you.
Any prediction on whether or not they go for a VAT before november? I never thought they’d have the stones to try it, but I was wrong about almost everything I have thought about this congress so far. Now I think that they are actually so tone-deaf that they think we’ll thank them for it, just like we are going to reward them for “giving” us HCR.
Mord on April 11, 2010 at 2:10 PM
thomasaur on April 11, 2010 at 2:11 PM
I believe that is an oxymoron.
Basil Fawlty on April 11, 2010 at 2:12 PM
Doesn’t it all come back to what are we getting for all the taxes we pay? Would people complain if say the public schools were doing a better job? Didn’t a lot of the Porkulus go to keeping teachers employed – teaching in public schools?
Bang for our Buck….we are growing bureaucracies but how well run are those same bureaucracies? I mean the US post office is going down to a 5 day week because they are in the red.
There are many reasons to be unhappy with the tax system – you want to look around where you live and see things being ran well, NOT being told you are going to pay more in taxes, and guess what they have to cut back on public services.
Dr Evil on April 11, 2010 at 2:12 PM
Interesting that those on the wagon aren’t even distantly interested in preventing those pulling the wagon from eventually bailing out(for one reason or another) and leaving the passengers high and dry!! The laws of cause and effect don’t seem to resonate.
jeanie on April 11, 2010 at 2:14 PM
What do you think of the Fair Tax movement? How does it work for those at or below the poverty line?
d1carter on April 11, 2010 at 2:14 PM
That is because they think the “government” has money of it’s own.
ladyingray on April 11, 2010 at 2:15 PM
I’m over taxed. Here my husband and I are, making a reasonable good income, living within our means, and we still didn’t pay enough this year per the federal Government.
deidre on April 11, 2010 at 2:16 PM
They must not have polled Timmy G.
farright on April 11, 2010 at 2:16 PM
Me, too. :(
ladyingray on April 11, 2010 at 2:17 PM
Washington: The cost of fighting the war in Afghanistan will overtake that of the Iraq conflict for the first time in 2010, Pentagon budget documents showed Thursday.
On top of the basic defense budget of 533.7 billion dollars, the White House is requesting a further 130 billion dollars for overseas missions, including 65 billion for Afghanistan and 61 billion for Iraq.
Dr Evil on April 11, 2010 at 2:17 PM
$6 Billion Later, Afghan Cops Aren’t Ready to Serve, March 20,2010.
Neither the State Department nor DynCorp was prepared for the job they faced. Most of the recruits are rural villagers who have never been inside a classroom. Roughly 15 percent test positive for drugs, primarily hashish. Few know how to use a toothbrush or drive, and nearly 90 percent are illiterate. In 2005 DynCorp opened a new police academy on the outskirts of Jalalabad, and within a few months the academy’s drains backed up. Maintenance workers discovered that the septic tanks were full of smooth stones—a toilet-paper substitute used by many rural Afghans. DynCorp had to bring in backhoes to repair the problem, and the company had to add two days of classes in basic hygiene.
Dr Evil on April 11, 2010 at 2:19 PM
That’s American Tax Payer’s Money – literally going down the toilet :)
Dr Evil on April 11, 2010 at 2:19 PM
d 1 carter,
Go on fairtax.org and it will explain the whole fair tax thing. It sounds great to me, but it would have to repeal the income tax and dc will not in a million years do that, IMO.
L
letget on April 11, 2010 at 2:21 PM
It’s horrible :(
Just wait until the Bush’s tax cuts expire. Oh goodness. My husband got a job promotion this year too so I’m sure we’ll have to pay big next year. I had to go in and actually request for them to take more money out of our checks. You know how painful that is?
deidre on April 11, 2010 at 2:22 PM
The Soviets Call their war in Afghanistan – Their Vietnam. Afghanistan drained The Soviets coffers there is a high price to pay for keeping an Army fighting at a distance.
10. Poverty of the State exchequer causes an army
to be maintained by contributions from a distance.
Contributing to maintain an army at a distance causes
the people to be impoverished.
11. On the other hand, the proximity of an army causes
prices to go up; and high prices cause the people’s
substance to be drained away.
12. When their substance is drained away, the peasantry
will be afflicted by heavy exaction.
Art Of War by Sun Tzu
Dr Evil on April 11, 2010 at 2:23 PM
I would bet the vast majority of Americans equate “income tax” to “tax”.
The majority of my friends pay no income taxes, but they love to whine about being taxed to death by the federal government.
ButterflyDragon on April 11, 2010 at 2:24 PM
Yes, I do. I had to do the same.
ladyingray on April 11, 2010 at 2:25 PM
Whoa!!don’t forget Medicaid and the Earned Income Credit just to name two that cost as much and eventually more. These latter two are just a much entitlements as the first two. And there is a subtle but enlightening difference. Medicare and Social Security have been at least partially paid for by most recipients. The second two are pure gifts with no strings attached.
jeanie on April 11, 2010 at 2:25 PM
Conversation among Federal Reserve janitors:
Janitor 1: “Why have they started up all the printing presses?”
Janitor 2: “They need 663.7 billion fast.”
Basil Fawlty on April 11, 2010 at 2:27 PM
Virginia has a very high state income tax, and levies a property tax on your car. You also have to buy a county sticker for your car (in case you ever want to use the dump) and in my city the taxes on restaurant sales is like 15%. They tax clothing and most groceries, too. So yea, when you add all that to your federal taxes it’s pretty darn high.
scalleywag on April 11, 2010 at 2:27 PM
We’re in the same boat :(
deidre on April 11, 2010 at 2:30 PM
And if you think you’re paying too much tax now, go get a second job to make ends meet and see where that gets you!
scalleywag on April 11, 2010 at 2:31 PM
I don’t think most people realize that much of the taxes they pay are hidden in the costs of business, sales tax, gasoline tax, sin taxes, payroll taxes etc…
I don’t think they realize that much of the services they receive are local, not federal and that the federal government uses the income tax as a stick to force the states to comply with federal mandates that are costly to them.
Until the voters come to the realization that what the federal government has usurped in terms of power and service belongs to the states, they will never understand that much of what the feds take is used in states other than their own.
The founders knew what they were doing by giving the bulk of power to the states and limiting the power and responsibilities of the feds.
We have gone a long way off track with the federal government now an out of control train crashing through the states leaving destruction behind.
Jvette on April 11, 2010 at 2:32 PM
Keep in mind Sun Wu’s native state of Wu was destroyed by the Yue in 473 BC.
‘Art of War’ is overrated.
DarkCurrent on April 11, 2010 at 2:33 PM
You know there are so many depths/layers to the “Taxing” issue.
How many people are content to pay their fair share if they were watching their fair share being spent responsibly?
I watch Hannity, and he has on those specials, that show what the so called Stimulus money, has been spent on so far….it’s not instilling confidence in The American Tax Payer. Remember when they passed Porkulus so unemployment wouldn’t go over 8%
When we come out of this economic downturn it will be in spite of the Government, not because of any action they have taken like – out of control spending and regressive taxation.
Dr Evil on April 11, 2010 at 2:33 PM
So the Afghan War didn’t drain the Soviet’s treasury?
Dr Evil on April 11, 2010 at 2:35 PM
Anybody who takes tax deductions doesn’t seriously believe they are undertaxed.
MayBee on April 11, 2010 at 2:38 PM
I didn’t say that. I merely said the ‘Art of War’ is overrated.
The US was also fighting a ‘war at a distance’ in WWII, wasn’t it? Just because you fight a war at a distance doesn’t mean it will inevitably be lost.
DarkCurrent on April 11, 2010 at 2:40 PM
Employers are most overtaxed. They have to match employees’ payroll taxes, pay 100% of their own payroll taxes and are sometimes double taxed on income as business income and then as personal income.
Self-employed and 1099 people are next in line as overtaxed due to the full boat on the payroll taxes.
High wage employees are third most overtaxed by virtue of the distorted “progressive” tax tables, but only get hit on half their payroll tax.
Everyone else gets off pretty easy on Federal Taxes. The State income and sales taxes may be a different story though.
forest on April 11, 2010 at 2:41 PM
I agree! The republicans should use your sentence for a November campaign slogan then when they gain control of Congress, govern in such a manner that the Deomocrats can’t use that same slogan against them in 2012.
Basil Fawlty on April 11, 2010 at 2:54 PM
How many years have we been in Afghanistan?
WWII started in 1939 ended in 1945
Dr Evil on April 11, 2010 at 2:57 PM
the long war journal We will be in Afghanistan 9 years come this fall.
Dr Evil on April 11, 2010 at 3:00 PM
There’s no fixed timeline for war.
The problem with our tax rates and deficits isn’t defense spending. It’s domestic spending on things the federal government has no constitutional basis for being involved in.
DarkCurrent on April 11, 2010 at 3:03 PM
Heck, why not sterilize the heteros and spend like hell?
Shady salesmen always tell the marks about the price last.
And our politicains never mention the price. They just capitalize on greed and fear. Just like the con men who end up in jail.
The best part of my recent visit to MSNBC was hearing Madcow snark about Republicans take “credit” about Porklus projects. The dim damsel can’t see that those payoffs are what is enslaving our kids.
Of course, she doesn’t have to worry about that, pending some legal arrangement or medical miracle.
IlikedAUH2O on April 11, 2010 at 3:07 PM
We are borrowing money, the cupboard is bare. You don’t think fighting two wars isn’t expensive? We have been in Afghanistan since 2001 and Iraq since 2003, that is above, and over the Defense Department’s budget.
Dr Evil on April 11, 2010 at 3:09 PM
The Soviets grossly underestimated the huge cost of the Afghan venture—described, in time, as the Soviet Union’s Vietnam–to their state.
1979 – 1988
Dr Evil on April 11, 2010 at 3:14 PM
Mr. 57 states begs to differ with you:
“I’ve proposed a freeze in government spending for three years. We have gone through every department’s spending line by line, item by item, looking for inefficiency, duplication, and programs that have outlived their usefulness.” President Obama, February 1, 2010.
Basil Fawlty on April 11, 2010 at 3:16 PM
FICA anyone? Lockbox? I won’t see a dime of Medicare/Social security, the Gov already spent it,so quit whining that I don’t pay my “fair” share.If I can extract money back from the Gov then good for me,they already stole it from me.
Bob
Go Freddy Couples!
Bobnormal on April 11, 2010 at 3:22 PM
Indeed. It’s precisely why, erroneously, the world believes India to be the biggest ‘democracy’ in the world. Only 5% there pay taxes. The rest all vote, with they hands and their feet. Good luck America.
Watch this, again, and again, if you you believe in a better future for your kids/grandkids.
Schadenfreude on April 11, 2010 at 3:39 PM
Me three.
capitalist piglet on April 11, 2010 at 3:42 PM
s/b “with their hands and their feet”.
Schadenfreude on April 11, 2010 at 3:43 PM
The emphasis is totally wrong, in my view. I smoke so, I pay huge taxes to the Feds, also my telephone bills have many different taxes. The total amount paid to the government is what truly matters; arguing which hand grabbed my money is ridiculous.
Jeff2161 on April 11, 2010 at 3:49 PM
It’s pretty much peanuts compared to the domestic spending, and we would be loosing a lot of production in trade without it.
Count to 10 on April 11, 2010 at 3:51 PM
Why does the tax code disincent productivity?
Why is income the arbiter of ‘fairness’?
ignatzk on April 11, 2010 at 3:57 PM
Maybe they believe that $0 is their fair share of federal taxes.
Most people feel they are already paying a lot in taxes with sales taxes, gas taxes, property taxes and other govt. fees and permits.
What % of people do not pay any state income taxes?
albill on April 11, 2010 at 4:09 PM
47% pay 0% in federal income taxes and only 1% claim they pay less than their fair share, this means that 46% of Americans freely admit they are entitled to benefits with absolutely no cost to themselves, 46% of Americans are freeloaders! 40% of Americans actually get refunds from Federal Income Taxes in the form of refundable tax credits, which means that 39% of Americans not only claim they are entitled to benefits with absolutely no cost to themselves, but are entitled to payments for enjoying said same benefits they do not pay for, 39% of Americans are practicing thieves!
It is either this, or that most Americans cannot differentiate between payroll taxes and income taxes, but those payroll taxes are used to ‘fund’ retirements and pay for social security disability insurance.
astonerii on April 11, 2010 at 4:16 PM
It is either this, or that most Americans cannot differentiate between payroll taxes and income taxes, but those payroll taxes are used to ‘fund’ retirements and pay for social security disability insurance.
astonerii on April 11, 2010 at 4:16 PM
It’s the Gov that doesn’t know the difference,they take FICA and use it in the general fund, and have been for years,So I still pay plenty of taxes,
Bob
Bobnormal on April 11, 2010 at 4:20 PM
Some of you are still drinking a version of the Kool-aid when it comes to FICA taxes. The government won a law-suit in 1963 regarding Social Security monies. SCOTUS ruled that no one is entitled to a check from the government and that Congress could use the monies from FICA in any manner they so desired.
chemman on April 11, 2010 at 5:21 PM
I love that one it cracks me up every time.
Dr Evil on April 11, 2010 at 5:33 PM
My premise is this, American Citizens really are not b1tching about paying their fair share in taxes. They just want the money the government collects from them used responsibly. Speaking for myself, I would like it if the federal government stopped borrowing and spending us into unsustainable debt.
Afghanistan is like a bucket with a hole in the bottom, and our money is being poured into it. Some fiscal accountability would be welcome but I am not holding my breath.
Dr Evil on April 11, 2010 at 5:42 PM
Some of you are still drinking a version of the Kool-aid when it comes to FICA taxes. The government won a law-suit in 1963 regarding Social Security monies. SCOTUS ruled that no one is entitled to a check from the government and that Congress could use the monies from FICA in any manner they so desired.chemman on April 11, 2010 at 5:21 PM
You better tell that to the left. Seems those on the right in general do not believe that they will ever see THEIR money. IF you point is that therefore many of the 47% do in fact pay into the Federal pot fine….but so do most of the 53% . Seems it makes little difference to the argument.
CWforFreedom on April 11, 2010 at 5:58 PM
This poll is good for the GOP.
People are convinced they pay too much in federal taxes even when they don’t.
Obama and the Democrat’s overspending either has to stop or taxes will have to be raised on more lower income people. Democrats claim its fair to up the taxes on wealthier people…the GOP whips out the 47 percent no tax number and prove it isn’t fair but explain NO one has to have their taxes hiked…we can just cut spending including the unpopular Obama healthcare deform law, which in fact forces young healthier but poorer people to purchase expensive comprehensive health insurance they really do not need for their occasional sore throat or sprained wrist…which is comparable to being unfairly taxed as well.
The GOP can just run or just that…Elect us to stop the spending or the Democrats programs will increase your taxes, force you to buy something for a price far more than the services you are bound to use., or be unfair to those who already foot the bill.
It’s a no win situation for Democrats
LeeSeneca on April 11, 2010 at 6:28 PM
It isn’t how much I pay; it’s the immoral crap they do with my money rather than funding services I use that chaps my hide. They can fund the murderous Planned Parenthood and Embryonic Stem Cell Research, failing schools that promote promiscuous and aberrant sexual practice, etc… on my dime; meanwhile, I have to have my car re-aligned after driving on the Interstate highway system, worry about driving over bridges fearing a collapse, etc…
That’s what bothers me about paying taxes.
pannw on April 11, 2010 at 7:21 PM
I don’t believe that poll, 9% of the people in the top earning bracket think their tax is less than fair? I don’t think you could get 0% on any answer. Really.
Terrye on April 11, 2010 at 8:39 PM
Same here and I earned less than usual last year.
NoLeftTurn on April 11, 2010 at 9:14 PM
Here’s the problem I have with the math being used to calculate our “tax obligation” – it’s only taking into consideration, our FEDERAL INCOME TAX. Let’s take a look, shall we?
FICA
SS
Medicare
State Income
Property (Real Estate)
Property (Vehicles)
State Sales Tax (Clothes, food, etc)
State Sales Tax (Gas, etc.)
Dept. Motor Vehicles, Registration, Licensing, etc.
And that’s JUST TAX. What about other “essential expenditures” such as
Homeowner insurance (or renter’s)
Vehicle Insurance
Medical Insurance (don’t worry, Obambi’s taken care of this “problem for us anyway, right?”)
Dental Insurance
At the end of the day, how much money are we paying out before we are able to invest, save or otherwise utiltise it???
Supposedly Tax Freedom Day is April 9th this year. In reality, it’s a hell of a lot later into the year than that.
KMC1 on April 11, 2010 at 10:19 PM
I have always paid at least 200% of my share. BO, on the other hand , has never paid his share. No dem pays his share. The dems are all crooks; there are no exceptions.
proconstitution on April 11, 2010 at 10:29 PM
LOL, 47% of the people do not pay any federal income taxes. Yet less than 1% say they don’t pay their fair share. So that tells me that about 46% of Americans have their heads up their rumps on this one.
Hawthorne on April 12, 2010 at 6:44 AM
I’d like to see the numbers on independent contractors. We pay double the Medicare and Social Security taxes of someone who is an employee. April is a very angry month for me.
Mark Jaquith on April 12, 2010 at 7:29 AM
Did the pollster define ‘About the Right Amount’, cuz otherwise, everyone might have a different right amount in mind. This is the most unscientific poll I’ve ever seen. Meanwhile in Montana our wonderful D gov wants to tax the amount of sale, inheritance or like trade of your home. This is a tax after paying home property taxes on the property for years. This is how he intends to pay for the increases in medicaid and replenish the funds in the union pensions here.
Kissmygrits on April 12, 2010 at 9:31 AM
Given the fact most Americans are idiots, a lot of people think “tax” = everything on their paycheck that doesn’t get spent on beer. This includes 401k contributions, health insurance deductions.
So when someone making $50K gets a paycheck of $4100 a month but his take home is is $3000 he thinks he’s paying $1100 in taxes. Never mind that of that $1100 he gets back $500 in the form of a refund in April and the other $600 is in his 401k and/or pays for his health insurance.
angryed on April 12, 2010 at 10:05 AM
I am now retired, but over my working career I never adjusted my withholding so I would get a big refund. I always had set it to maximize my net income. As a retiree, my withholding is zero on my pension, zero on social security, zero on my IRA.
I pay income taxes once on April 15th. By doing that I know what may real tax burden is, and to be honest I hate paying taxes. Because of that I don’t withdraw from my IRA unless I have too.
My thinking is if I buy this expensive item, I will have to pay income tax on the amount I withdraw from my IRA, so I am more reluctant to buy things I don’t really need.
Dasher on April 12, 2010 at 10:11 AM
This is a ruse bent on dividing people. Most conservatives have bit hard on this, especially Rush.
No different than taxing sales on the internet, by getting the brick and mortar people all worked up.
For those that want the 16th amend. repealed may have caught on.
By me, 47% that pay no inc.tax, that amount sounds just about right. The solution is to get the 43% in line with the 47% and not the other way around. Use it against the dividing statists.
The 47% pay enough in taxes. Every time the price of a product is increased by direct or indirect government intervention THAT is a TAX:inflation,fees,regulation,tariff,subsidy…….etc.
lilium on April 12, 2010 at 10:51 AM
I really feel for you. Your governor is really an idiot.
Inheritance taxes are some of the most intrusive taxes around.
Why must someone, no matter how rich you are, pay taxes on goods that have already had taxes paid on them before you died, pay even more taxes on taxed goods after you die?
Your governor is hell bent on destroying the few ranchers & farmers that remain in MT.
My husband & I own lots of land & other assets, but are cash poor.
So when he or I die, the heirs will have to sell off part of the ranch &/or assets in order to pay inheritance taxes.
This will leave the ranch in a condition in which it cannot be operated at a profit bcs of the reduced grazing land etc.
I don’t care if your estate is worth hundreds of millions of dollars or a billion: your hiers deserve ALL of it.
The governement does not deserve ANY of it.
Badger40 on April 12, 2010 at 2:06 PM