Taxes -  Spring 2004

Dissatisfaction with state taxes has decreased since last fall, while dissatisfaction with property taxes has remained constant. Half (53%) of respondents who think Wisconsin is a special place to live think that Wisconsin taxes most people fairly, and just one in four of these respondents thinks that state income and local property taxes contribute a great deal to making the state a special place to live. Over half of state residents give Wisconsin a C or lower grade for having reasonable personal income taxes and 62% give the state a C or lower grade for reasonable local taxes.

 

How satisfied are you with the amount you pay for state taxes and property taxes? Almost half of state residents remain dissatisfied with the amount they pay for local property taxes, but more than half are satisfied with state taxes.
How much do the following tax rates contribute to making Wisconsin a special place to live?* Half of state residents say that Wisconsin is a special place to live, and 38% say that this state is about the same as other states. For those who think this is a special state, taxes are not the reason. Just one in four of these respondents say that fair state or property taxes contribute a great deal to making Wisconsin special. One in five say that fair corporate taxes help a great deal in making the state special.
Would having the following tax rates make Wisconsin a more special place for you to live compared to other states?* Among those who think Wisconsin is about the same or worse than other states, two out of five (41%) think that having a fair state income tax would make the state a much more special place to live, 36% say that having fair property tax rates would make it much more special, and 28% think a fair corporate tax would make it much more special.
How would you grade Wisconsin in each of these areas? Fewer than half of state residents give Wisconsin good grades for its tax structure. Forty percent give it an A or B for having fair personal taxes. Just over one third give it an A or B for fair property taxes and one third give it an A or B for fair corporate taxes.
Do you think each of the following groups is paying its fair share of taxes in Wisconsin? If taxes overall are a burden, state residents say that people making less than $50,000 are shouldering more than their fair share of the load, and people making more than $200,000 are carrying less than their fair share.