Just 20% Support Federal Internet Taxes

Rasmussen Reports
Apr. 12, 2010

The Obama administration recently released its proposed plan for government regulation of the Internet that includes federal taxes on digital goods and services.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 20% of Americans favor the federal government taxing goods and services on the Internet. Sixty-one percent (61%) oppose such taxes. Another 19% are undecided.

Sixty-four percent (64%) of those who use the Internet every day or nearly every day oppose such taxes, while 22% of that group think they're a good idea.

The administration's regulatory efforts ran into trouble last week, however, when a U.S. federal appeals court rejected a Federal Communications Commission move to impose "net neutrality" rules on Internet providers which would force them to treat all Web traffic equally. But some Internet providers have been attempting to slow the traffic of major downloaders, arguing that they slow Internet service for other customers.

Fifty-three percent (53%) of adults do not believe the FCC should regulate the Internet the way it does radio and television.

Men are slightly more supportive of Internet taxation than women are. Adults ages 40 to 49 oppose such taxes more strongly than those in other age groups.

Seventy-four percent (74%) of Republicans and 64% of adults not affiliated with either major party are opposed to the federal government taxing goods and services on the Internet. Among Democrats, 29% favor the taxes, while 48% are opposed.

Opposition to the new federal taxes is even higher among government employees than it is among those who work in the private sector.

Forty-six percent (46%) of voters expect their taxes to go up during the Obama presidency.

Most voters (60%) think tax increases hurt the economy.

But 78% believe taxes on the middle class will have to be increased to pay for the new national health care plan.

Sixty-five percent (65%) of Americans already say those in the middle class pay a larger share of their income in taxes than wealthy Americans do. Many Americans also don't think everyone pays their fair share.