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, tax worries will take a backseat to stress about inflation. In fact, WalletHub found that 81% of people are more worried about inflation than taxes this year.
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 over 200 taxpayers.
Here's what we learned:
Key Stats
- 73% of people say the government does not spend their tax dollars wisely.
- Almost 34% of people say not having enough money is their biggest Tax Day fear, followed by making a math mistake (23%) and getting audited (22%).
- 39% of people would move to a different country for a tax-free future, while 37% would get an “IRS” tattoo and 23% would stop talking for 6 months.
- 49% of people would do jury duty rather than do their taxes, while 36% would talk to their kids about sex and 26% would miss a connecting flight.
- 72% of people think their current tax rate is too high.
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 panelists’ profiles below to read their bios and thoughts on the following key questions:
- WalletHub’s survey found that 73% of Americans do not believe the government is currently spending their tax dollars wisely. What do you think are the main reasons for that?
- Around 72% of people think that their current tax rate is too high. Do you agree that most people are being charged too much?
- What is the significance of roughly 39% of people saying they would move to a different country for a tax-free future?
- People's biggest Tax Day fears are not having enough money and making a math mistake. What do you think people should be most concerned about?
Ask the Experts
Professor Emerita – University of Oregon School of Law
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Professor of Law – New England Law | Boston
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Professor of Law, College of Law – Florida International University
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Coleman P. Burke Professor Emeritus of Law – Case Western Reserve University
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CPA, MS-TAX, CGMA – Lecturer, RH Smith School of Business – University of Maryland, College Park
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Survey Methodology
This report reflects the results of a nationally representative online survey of over 200 people.
After all responses were collected, we normalized the data by age, gender and income so the sample would reflect U.S. demographics.
Full Details Overall
| What would you do for a tax-free future? | |
|---|---|
| Move to a different country | 39% |
| Get an “IRS” tattoo | 37% |
| Stop talking for 6 months | 23% |
| Take a vow of celibacy | 22% |
| Name your child “Taxes” | 14% |
| Clean prison toilets for 3 years | 10% |
| Are you more worried about taxes or inflation right now? | |
| Inflation | 81% |
| Taxes | 30% |
| What are your biggest Tax Day concerns? | |
| Not Having Enough Money To Pay | 34% |
| Making A Mathematical Mistake | 23% |
| Getting Audited | 22% |
| Identity Theft | 21% |
| Who will/would make the best use of your tax dollars? | |
| Charity | 28% |
| Local government | 26% |
| State government | 18% |
| Federal government | 16% |
| Religious group | 13% |
| What would you rather do than your taxes? | |
| Jury duty | 49% |
| Talk to your kids about sex | 36% |
| Miss a connecting flight | 26% |
| Spend the night in jail | 16% |
| Swim with sharks | 15% |
| Drink expired milk | 13% |
| Does the government currently spend your tax dollars wisely? | |
| No | 73% |
| Yes | 27% |
| Do you think your current tax rate is…? | |
| Too High | 72% |
| Just Right | 20% |
| Too Low | 8% |
| Corporate tax rates should be … ? | |
| Higher than consumer tax rates | 57% |
| The same as consumer tax rates | 27% |
| Lower than consumer tax rates | 16% |
| Would you move to a different state to avoid taxes? | |
| No | 52% |
| Yes | 48% |
| Which matters most to you when deciding where to live? | |
| Cost of living | 40% |
| Family | 26% |
| Weather | 13% |
| Jobs | 12% |
| Taxes | 5% |
| Schools | 4% |
Note: Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.
