Whether you see it as a civic duty, a necessary evil or cause for a few choice expletives, it’s no surprise that most of us dislike tax time. From the expense and hassle of the process to questions of fairness and fears of basic math, there are many reasons for our April angst. This year, though, the biggest tax concern isn’t the process itself, but the growing frustration over costs, fairness, and the financial fears it places on everyday Americans. In fact, WalletHub found that 91% of Americans think filing taxes should be free.
Regardless of bigger troubles, though, tax season is still very unpleasant for many Americans. But just how much do we dislike taxes and tax collectors, and what would we do to get out of paying?
In search of answers to those questions and more, WalletHub conducted a nationally representative survey of 200 taxpayers.
Key Stats
- Tax Filing Cost: 91% of Americans think filing taxes should be free.
- Inflation Concerns: 7 in 10 Americans are more worried about inflation than taxes right now.
- Tax vs. Jury Duty: Nearly 1 in 3 people would rather do jury duty than their taxes.
- Tax Fairness: 77% of people believe that the rich don’t pay their fair share in taxes.
- Tax Day Fears: 35% of people fear not having enough money to pay on Tax Day, while 22% worry about making a mathematical mistake, and 20% are concerned about identity theft.
- Tax Evasion Awareness: More than 1 in 4 Americans know someone who has cheated on their taxes.
Ask the Experts
Once the results of our survey were in, we asked a panel of experts in the fields of public taxes and tax reform to interpret our findings. Click on the experts’ profiles below to read their bios and thoughts on the following key questions:
- Nearly 66% of Americans think their current tax rates are too high. What are your thoughts on current tax rates?
- Nearly 2 in 3 people describe companies that advertise free tax filing services as bait-and-switch schemes. Do you agree?
- What do you make of the fact that more than 1 in 4 Americans know someone who has cheated on their taxes?
- People's biggest Tax Day fears are not having enough money and making a mathematical mistake. What do you think people should be most concerned about?
Ask the Experts
J.D., LL.M. – Executive Director of Graduate Programs, Rubel School of Business – Bellarmine University
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S. Walter Richey Professor of Corporate Law – University of Minnesota Law School
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Research Professor of Law – University of Alabama School of Law
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Director, Low Income Taxpayer Clinic and Teaching Professor – Syracuse University College of Law
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CPA, Esq. – Professor, and Director, MST Program – San Jose State University, Lucas College and Graduate School of Business
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Ph.D. – Director, Boyd Center for Business & Economic Research, and Randy and Jenny Boyd Distinguished Professor, Professor of Economics – The University of Tennessee
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Methodology
This report reflects the results of a nationally representative online survey of 200 respondents.
After all responses were collected, we normalized the data by age, gender and income so the sample would reflect U.S. demographics.
Full Survey & Responses
| Are you more worried about taxes or inflation right now? | |
|---|---|
| Inflation | 70% |
| Taxes | 30% |
| What are your biggest Tax Day fears? | |
| Not Having Enough Money To Pay | 35% |
| Making A Mathematical Mistake | 22% |
| Identity Theft | 20% |
| Getting Audited | 18% |
| Forgetting To File | 5% |
| What would you rather do than your taxes? | |
| Jury duty | 32% |
| Attend driver’s ed classes | 16% |
| Talk to your kids about sex | 13% |
| Go on a hunger strike | 13% |
| Miss a connecting flight | 12% |
| Drink expired milk | 4% |
| Swim with sharks | 4% |
| Spend the night in jail | 3% |
| Get naked on a live stream | 3% |
| Do you think your current tax rate is…? | |
| Too High | 66% |
| Just Right | 31% |
| Too Low | 3% |
| Should filing taxes be free? | |
| Yes | 91% |
| No | 9% |
| How would you describe companies that advertise free tax filing services? | |
| Bait and switch | 66% |
| Exactly as advertised | 34% |
| Do you know someone who has cheated on their taxes? | |
| No | 73% |
| Yes | 27% |
| Do the rich pay their fair share in taxes? | |
| No | 77% |
| Yes | 23% |
| Do businesses pay their fair share in taxes? | |
| No | 69% |
| Yes | 31% |
| Do you need a tax refund to make ends meet? | |
| No | 51% |
| Yes | 49% |
Note: Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.
WalletHub experts are widely quoted. Contact our media team to schedule an interview.