"Approves."
Posted on 04/03/2012 6:22:12 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
A new survey suggests Americans consider cheating on their taxes more socially acceptable than shoplifting, drunk driving or even throwing trash out the window of a moving car.
The Shelton Group, a green marketing firm based in Knoxville, Tenn. had 1,105 Americans complete on-line surveys in an effort to find out what kind of messages will make them adopt more environmentally friendly and energy efficient products and behaviors. Towards the end of the survey, the respondents were asked directly: “How embarrassed would you be if someone you knew found out that you……” and then read a list of presumably undesirable behaviors, in randomized order. The highest percentage of respondents—73%–said they’d be “very embarrassed” if someone they admired found out they were shoplifting, followed by 65% for driving under the influence, 59% for throwing trash out the window of a moving car, and 57% for cheating on their taxes. Another 14% said they’d be “somewhat” embarrassed by shoplifting (for a total of 87% at all embarrassed); another 17% said they’d be somewhat embarrassed by DUI (for a total of 82%) and another 21% said they’d be somewhat embarrassed by littering or cheating on their taxes (for a total of 80% and 78%, respectively.)
In the IRS Oversight Board’s 2011 Taxpayer Attitude Survey, 84% of the public said it is “not at all acceptable to cheat on one’s income taxes.’’ Still, in that survey, only 66% of the participants said they “completely agree” that “everyone who cheats on their taxes should be held accountable” and only 72% completely agreed that “it’s every American’s civic duty to pay their fair share of taxes”–suggesting, as the Shelton study does, that perhaps disapproval of tax evasion is not as strong as, say, disapproval of stealing from private businesses.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
Well?
READ THE IRS SURVEY ON AMERICAN TAX PAYER ATTITUDE HERE:
http://www.treasury.gov/irsob/reports/2012/IRSOB~Taxpayer%20Attitude%20Survey%202012.pdf
One encouraging sign of moral health.
Someone puts a gun to your head and says “give me all the money in your pockets!”
It is human nature to creatively define “pocket”...
RE: Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,
So, in the USA, what belongs to Caesar? If Caesar says 70% belongs to him, must Americans comply?
Mercy, such a non issue!
When has cheating, stealing, or even littering become such a non-issue. In the 60’s and much later, all were considered bad (and only those without a conscience would do that).
Today, it seems that maybe the schools are teaching that some is okay if you really need the item - or maybe they are teaching that cheating is okay as long as you are not caught!
Really, this is the society that we have bred. I could not have imagined cheating in the 60’s much less stealing. What has become of us? How can it get any worse?
Shoplifting is stealing from someone else.
Littering is making a mess that you expect someone else to pick up, in other words littering is being a slob.
“Cheating” on taxes is trying to keep what is rightfully yours from being taken from you by force so that it can be given to someone who didn’t earn it.
The first two are clearly immoral.
The third is not. (It just requires more balls than I posses, LOL!)
Cheating on one’s taxes is as simple as paying someone under the table. Very much akin to taking your wallet out of your back pocket and putting it in front while in a crowd.
"Approves."
If we were the stupid ones that allowed it to happen. Either that or take up a sword and make some changes.
Is there anyone on the forum with the knowledge to compare colonial taxation burden against today's?
Is there anyone on the forum with the knowledge to compare colonial taxation burden against today's?
Is there anyone on the forum with the knowledge to compare colonial taxation burden against today's?
Shoplifting and littering are voluntary activities, paying taxes is not, no matter what the IRS says.
Sorry for triple post. Droid phone sucks!
One good crime deserves another?
If we paid in proportion to what we receive or we paid in proportion to our earnings across the board, if we paid equitably, If our vote counted in proportion to what we pay, if we didn’t feel like whatever we do is wrong....
I am Mr. Law and Order, but whenever I use the services of someone who is self employed (mechanic, carpenter, barber, etc.)I pay them in cash if at all possible. I couldn’t care less whether they report it on their taxes or not. All of my income is entirely too documented to anything shady.
While you “Cheating on Taxes” was tongue in cheek, I would never have though that I might agree with you but today with the cheats that are consistently found, maybe it it necessary to get the government’s attention. Things have changed so much!
Might be the time for the “little people” to refrain from paying taxes - seems the only thing that gets their attention. As far as a revolution per say, I could definitely agree with that. Heck, it might even get the attention of our overlords!
Tax simplification, removal of all special interest tax dodges removed would be a good thing. Follow up with TAX simplification and all might survive.
True Story: I had outstanding taxes due to working for myself for 3 years and had no idea about the tax requirements (naive at the time). After realizing that I was suppose to have paid taxes before they were due (every quarter), I went to the FED tax offices and ask what to do. I paid 40 thousand in advance just in case. They immediately ask about whether I owned property or had any other cash assets. This was our government. They were not worried about what I owed but whether I could be a provider of assets. They were only after as much as they could take. This was our wonderful government!
So, yes I sympathize with your taxes stand!
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