Americans Want the Rich to Pay More — But Say Their Own Taxes Are Too High

Americans have complicated feelings about the federal tax system. Many believe wealthy people and large corporations are not paying their fair share, but at the same time, a growing majority say they personally pay more in taxes than they should.

New polling from Pew Research Center highlights this apparent contradiction and shows just how dissatisfied Americans have become with different parts of the tax system.

According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in January 2026, 61% of U.S. adults say the feeling that some wealthy people do not pay their fair share in federal taxes bothers them “a lot.” Nearly the same share, 60%, say the same about corporations.

But Americans are also increasingly unhappy with their own tax burden.

60% of Americans Say They Pay More Than Their Fair Share

When Americans were asked to consider what they receive from the federal government in return for the taxes they pay, 60% said they pay more than their fair share.

Only 33% said they pay about the right amount, while just 5% said they pay less than their fair share.

The percentage feeling overtaxed has also increased over time. In 2019, 51% of Americans said they paid more than their fair share. That fell slightly to 49% in 2021 before rising to 56% in 2023 and 60% in 2026.

That means dissatisfaction with personal tax burdens has increased by nine percentage points since 2019.

Many Americans Also Favor Higher Taxes on High Earners

The desire to pay less personally does not necessarily mean Americans oppose higher taxes across the board.

A separate Pew Research Center survey conducted in early 2025 found that 58% of Americans favored raising tax rates on household income above $400,000 per year. About 19% wanted those rates lowered, while 21% preferred keeping them at their existing levels.

Support for increasing taxes on large businesses was even higher, at 63%.

These findings suggest that many Americans make a distinction between their own tax burden and the amount they believe wealthy households and corporations should contribute.

Democrats and Republicans See the Issue Differently

Political affiliation remains one of the biggest dividing lines.

In the 2026 survey, 81% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents said they were bothered a lot by the feeling that wealthy people do not pay their fair share. Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, the figure was 41%.

The pattern reverses somewhat when Americans are asked about their personal taxes.

About 66% of Republicans said they pay more than their fair share, compared with 56% of Democrats.

However, dissatisfaction with personal taxes is not limited to one party. Majorities on both sides now believe they are paying too much relative to what they receive from the federal government.

Higher-Income Americans Are More Likely to Feel Overtaxed

Income also makes a noticeable difference. Among upper-income Americans, 68% said they pay more than their fair share in taxes. The figure was 65% among middle-income households and 49% among lower-income Americans.

Age matters as well. Adults between 50 and 64 were the most likely age group to say they pay too much, at 67%. Among Americans ages 30 to 49, the figure was 64%.

By comparison, 56% of adults ages 18 to 29 and 50% of those 65 and older said they pay more than their fair share.

Americans Are Also Frustrated With Tax Complexity

The amount people pay is only part of the frustration. About 51% of Americans say the complexity of the federal tax system bothers them a lot. Interestingly, this is one area where Democrats and Republicans largely agree: 52% of Democrats and 53% of Republicans expressed strong frustration with the system’s complexity.

The results point to a broader dissatisfaction with how federal taxes work rather than a simple demand for either higher or lower taxes.