In what can probably be filed under “things that are not surprising,” a poll released Wednesday showed that Democrats and Republicans have radically different feelings toward the federal government’s system of taxation.
The latest ABC News/Washington Post survey found that a majority of 53 percent of Democrats view the federal income tax system favorably while 43 percent view it unfavorably. An overwhelming majority of Republicans, on the other hand, have a distaste for the system. Sixty-six percent of GOPers said they have an unfavorable view compared with just a shade over 30 percent who view the federal income tax system favorably.
A majority of Americans overall have a negative opinion: 56 percent said they have an unfavorable view of the system while just 39 percent have a favorable view.
Democrats and Republicans also differ sharply when it comes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Fifty-six percent of Democrats said they view the IRS favorably, while 55 percent of Republicans said they have an unfavorable opinion of the federal tax collecting agency.