2015-03-18-皮尤-Federal_Tax_System_Seen_in_Need_of_Overhaul_15页_406kb

Summary of the Federal Tax System Survey (February 2015)

Core Content

The Pew Research Center conducted a national survey in February 2015, revealing widespread dissatisfaction with the U.S. federal tax system. The survey included 1,504 adults and found that the public perceives the system as deeply flawed, with significant concerns about fairness and complexity.

Main Complaints

• 59% of respondents believe the federal tax system has so many issues that Congress should completely change it.
• 38% think the system works pretty well and only needs minor changes.
• The primary concern is not the amount of taxes paid, but the perception that some corporations and wealthy individuals do not pay their fair share.
• 64% are bothered a lot by the feeling that corporations don't pay their fair share.
• 61% are bothered a lot by the feeling that wealthy people don't pay their fair share.
• 44% are bothered a lot by the complexity of the system.
• 20% are bothered a lot by the idea that poor people don't pay their fair share.
• 27% are bothered a lot by the amount they pay in taxes.

Views on Tax Fairness

• 53% say they pay about the right amount in taxes, considering what they get from the federal government.
• 40% say they pay more than their fair share.
• 4% say they pay less than their fair share.
• 4% view the tax system as "very fair."
• 46% view it as "moderately fair."
• 24% think it is "not too fair" or "not fair at all."

Partisan Differences

• Republicans are 20 points more likely than Democrats to say they pay more than their fair share (50% vs. 30%).
• Conservative Republicans are the only ideological group that views the poor not paying their fair share as equally troubling as the wealthy not paying their fair share.
• Partisan gap on the need for a complete overhaul of the tax system has widened: 66% of Republicans support a complete change, compared to 48% of Democrats.
• Independents remain divided, with 63% supporting a complete overhaul.

Demographic and Income Trends

• High-income individuals (≥$100,000) are more likely to be bothered by the complexity of the system and the amount they pay in taxes.
• Low-income adults are less concerned about tax fairness and more likely to feel the system works well.
• Democrats have become less supportive of completely changing the system compared to 2011, while Republicans have grown more supportive.

Survey Methodology

• Conducted via telephone interviews (landline and cell phone).
• Weighted to match demographic data from the 2013 American Community Survey.
• Margins of error are adjusted for the survey's design effect.
• Sampling error for the total sample is ±2.9 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

Key Findings

• The majority of the public believes the system needs a complete overhaul.
• Corporations and wealthy individuals are the most commonly cited as not paying their fair share.
• Republicans, especially conservative Republicans, are more likely to feel they pay more than their fair share and support a complete system change.
• Low-income individuals are more likely to view the system as fair and less concerned about its complexity.