---
title: "Majority Says Rich Pay Too Little in Federal Taxes"
description: "A majority of adults say that upper-income people pay too little in federal taxes."
date: "2012-09-05"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2012/09/05/majority-says-rich-pay-too-little-in-federal-taxes/"
---

# Majority Says Rich Pay Too Little in Federal Taxes

Nearly six-in-ten adults (58%) say that upper-income people pay too little in federal taxes. One-in-four (26%) say upper-income people pay their fair share in taxes, and 8% say they pay too much in taxes.

Even among those who consider themselves upper or upper-middle class, 52% say upper-income people pay too little. Only 10% of this group says upper-class adults pay too much in taxes.

The public is divided over whether lower-income people pay the appropriate amount in federal taxes. Some 37% say lower-income people pay too much in taxes, while roughly as many (34%) say lower-income people pay their fair share in taxes. One-in-five say lower-income people pay too little in taxes.

When it comes to the middle-class tax burden, half of all adults say middle-income people pay their fair share in federal taxes. Nearly four-in-ten (38%) say middle-income people pay too much in taxes, and 6% say they pay too little. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2012/08/27/yes-the-rich-are-different/%0Apewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/social-trends/2012/08/27/yes-the-rich-are-different/)