Democrats and Republicans have different ideas about what a fair tax system would look like and a different understanding of the current tax system. It’s impossible to know how these differences will play out during Election 2008. But, whatever the perceptions of the tax issue itself, the campaign dialogue will be filtered by one basic fact--just about everyone is skeptical about the promises of politicians on the tax issue.

Democrats, by a 53% to 34% margin, say that a fair tax system would have higher income Americans paying a higher percentage of their income in taxes. Republicans, by a 66% to 25% margin, say that a fair tax system would have everyone paying the same percentage of their income in taxes.

Looking beyond the partisan perspective, 48% of all voters think that all Americans should pay an equal percentage of their income in taxes. Forty percent (40%) think that upper income Americans should pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes.

When it comes to the way that the system currently works, Democrats, by a 53% to 28% margin, believe that those earning $50,000 a year pay a larger share of their income in taxes than someone who earns $200,000 a year. Republicans, by a 50% to 30% margin, have the opposite view. Overall, voters are fairly evenly divided on this point.

Democratic Presidential hopeful has proposed raising taxes on those earning $200,000 a year to finance tax cuts for lower and middle income Americans. Democrats, by a 75% to 15% margin, favor that proposal. Republicans, by a 56% to 34% margin, are opposed.

However, voter skepticism runs deep on the tax issue. If a politician promises to raise taxes only on the wealthy, 76% of voters believe that middle taxes will go up. That figure includes 85% of Republicans, 76% of Democrats, and 63% of those not affiliated with either major party.

Overall, 41% of voters currently trust Democrats more than Republicans on the tax issue. Thirty-seven percent (37%) have more trust in the GOP while 22% don’t have a preference.

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