Our 4 Biggest Fears About Paying Taxes
Life + Money

Our 4 Biggest Fears About Paying Taxes

iStockphoto/ James Group Studios, Inc.

With less than a month to go before the deadline for filing our 2015 taxes, many Americans would rather do just about anything other than sit down with their shoeboxes and a calculator.

More than a third of Americans say they’d rather talk about sex with their children than do their taxes, and 13 percent say they’d prefer to spend the night in jail, according to a new survey by WalletHub.

Standard household chores suddenly appear much more palatable, too, with more than three-quarters of Americans saying they’d do laundry over taxes, and six in 10 preferring to mow the lawn.

Related: 31 Tax Deductions You Don’t Want to Miss

In addition to dreading the work involved, many Americans are anxious about filing their taxes, with 36 percent worrying that they’ll make a math mistake. More than a quarter of those surveyed worried about identity theft, and nearly one in five feared being audited. About 19 percent worried about not having enough money.

Tax Fears

More than half of those surveyed had already filed their taxes, and a fifth said they’d do so this month. Just over 20 percent said that they’d file in the first two weeks of April.

Federal taxes this year are due Monday, April 18. Taxpayers who aren’t prepared to file at that time can request an automatic six-month extension, but the payment is still due on the 18th.

About half of taxpayers expect to receive a refund this year, while 14 percent think they’ll owe money to the IRS. About 60 percent of those surveyed believe their tax rate is too high, and 36 percent think it is “just right.”

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