WASHINGTON — Dreading tax season may be right next to baseball when it comes to American pastimes. So, just how far would Americans go to do away with being a taxpayer? Although the majority of Americans have more concerns about inflation than their taxes this year (81%), many people are willing to do whatever it takes to never go through another Tax Day again.
An online survey of over 200 people, conducted by WalletHub, reveals one in seven people would name their child “Taxes” (14%) and one in 10 would clean prison toilets for three years (10%) for a tax-free future.
Thirty-nine percent of people would move to a different country for a tax-free future and nearly half would move to a new state. Others would even go as far as getting an “IRS” tattoo (37%), not talking for six months (23%), or taking a vow of celibacy (22%) to never see Uncle Sam again.
Some would trade doing their taxes for an equally mind-numbing, yet genuinely American obligation: jury duty (49%). People also say they’re willing to talk to their child about the birds and the bees (36%), miss a connecting flight (26%), spend the night in jail (16%), swim with sharks (15%), or drink expired milk (13%).
Why do people hate doing their taxes so much?
With four in five people saying that inflation still troubles them in 2023, money concerns are weighing heavily on taxpayers as the filing deadline looms closer.
Almost 34 percent of people say not having enough money is their biggest Tax Day fear, followed by making a math mistake (23%) and getting audited (22%). Overall, 72 percent think their current tax rate is too high, while eight percent believe theirs is actually too low.
Aside from the extra cash you may have to give up after filing, people have many other gripes and concerns about what actually happens with their money after the fact. Nearly three in four Americans (73%) say the government does not spend their tax dollars wisely. Many wish they could see their funds go to charity (28%), local government (26%), state government (22%), federal government (16%), and religious groups (13%).
While paying homage to the IRS with a tattoo or your child’s name won’t excuse you from filing in April, there are many user-friendly tax platforms to utilize to file on your own. Check out our lists of the best tax filing software. On a budget? Try these free options.
Survey methodology:
This report reflects the results of a nationally representative online survey of over 200 people. After all responses were collected, WalletHub normalized the data by age, gender and income so the sample would reflect U.S. demographics.
