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Most say filing taxes is easy

 

Fifty-eight percent of people say filling out their tax forms is easy, according to a poll by The Associated Press. 

The AP-GFK poll released Thursday found only 38 percent considered tax filing hard. Another 4 percent did not answer. 

{mosads}Released a week ahead of the deadline to file taxes, the survey showed 48 percent of people use a professional to fill out their taxes, while 43 percent use some type of computer software. Only 7 percent said they fill them out by hand. 

An overwhelming 90 percent said they would not consider paying more in taxes if the process to file them was easier. Only 7 percent said they would consider it. 

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) released a tax-reform proposal in February, which would simplify the code and lower rates across the board by cutting a number of current tax breaks. However, GOP leaders have been cautious about pursuing tax reform this year ahead of the midterm elections.

The more wealthy the individual, the harder tax filing is perceived, according to the poll. Of those people making more than $100,000, 45 percent said filing taxes is hard. Thirty-three percent of people making less than $50,000 said the same. 

A Gallup poll earlier this week found, unsurprisingly, that people who have a higher state tax burden are more likely to say taxes are too high. Gallup found New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are the states with the highest percentage of residents who think their taxes are too high. 

Wyoming, Alaska and South Dakota fall at the other end of the spectrum. 

The AP poll surveyed 1,012 people from March 20-24 online and has a 3.4-percentage-point margin of error.