Story Highlights
- 59% say their taxes are too high, stable since 2023
- 47% say their taxes are fair, near the 1999 low
- Partisan differences are narrower under Republican presidents
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans’ belief that they pay too much in taxes remains elevated for the fourth consecutive year, with 59% saying this. Most others, 37%, say their taxes are “about right,” while 3% think they are too low.
Americans’ displeasure with their tax burden has held near 60% since 2023. This is higher than the roughly 50% average recorded in the early 2000s after the 2001 tax cuts went through, but still below levels seen from the 1970s through the 1990s, when the “too high” perception routinely exceeded 60%.
Meanwhile, 47% say the income tax they will have to pay this year is fair, within the 46% to 49% range recorded since 2023.
This positive sentiment about taxes is close to the record low of 45% in 1999, while the 49% now saying their taxes are not fair nearly matches the record high of 51% measured in 2023.
The current readings, based on a March 2-18 Gallup poll, contrast with the early-to-mid 2000s, when both measures improved substantially following major federal tax cut legislation. Between 2001 and 2003, spanning the passage of George W. Bush’s first tax cut, the percentage saying taxes are too high fell from 65% to 47%, while people’s belief that their taxes are fair increased from 51% to 64%.
A similar dynamic played out after the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) during Donald Trump’s first term, which helped push the “too high” reading to its trend low of 45% in 2018 and 2019, while perceptions of tax fairness held near 60%.
The positive impact of that legislation on public perceptions of their taxes faded in 2021, as Republicans became more likely to believe their taxes were too high after Joe Biden became president. As high inflation took hold in 2022 and continued in 2023, dissatisfaction rose further as cumulatively higher prices weighed on consumers.
Although the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed last July, extended most TCJA provisions permanently and added new exemptions for tips and overtime pay, among other targeted measures, the March 2026 update shows no measurable improvement in Americans’ tax attitudes.
Income and Party Differences Are Slight
Americans’ views of their taxes vary little by income, with roughly six in 10 adults in lower- (63%), middle- (58%) and upper-income (59%) households saying their taxes are too high. Similarly, roughly half in each group thinks their taxes are fair: 46% of lower-income adults, 51% of middle-income adults and 46% of upper-income adults.
As is typical during Republican presidential administrations, partisan differences in tax attitudes are relatively modest. Republicans tend to view their taxes more negatively than Democrats, but this gap narrows when a Republican is president.
Currently, 64% of independents, 60% of Republicans and 49% of Democrats say their taxes are too high. While independents’ belief their taxes are too high has been fairly consistent since 2023, Republicans’ has declined from 71% and Democrats’ has increased from 41%.
Republicans are still not as satisfied with their taxes as they were following the 2017 tax cuts, when less than 50% thought their taxes were too high.
Similarly, 57% of Republicans currently say that what they pay in taxes is fair, comparable to the 52% of Democrats holding this view. Independents are by far the least satisfied on this question, with just 39% saying their taxes are fair.
The lack of a partisan gap today contrasts with 2023 through 2025, reflecting attitudes about Biden-era policies, when about a third of Republicans versus over six in 10 Democrats thought their taxes were fair.
Bottom Line
Americans’ views of their taxes have remained near their most negative levels in two decades for the past three years, both in perceptions of the amount paid and whether it is fair.
While Republicans’ attitudes have become somewhat more positive during Trump’s second term and Democrats’ more negative, these shifts have offset each other, leaving overall public sentiment largely unchanged.
It’s possible that some of the 2025 tax changes, such as exempting tip income and providing an enhanced tax deduction for seniors, will have a greater impact on public opinion about taxes as more people file their returns this month. However, with the Iran war pushing up gas and other consumer prices, Americans’ eroding purchasing power may matter more to perceptions than whatever relief they get from Uncle Sam.
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Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works. View complete question responses and trends (PDF download).
