@ISIDEWITHQuestionsEconomyStarted 11yrs agoActive 40mins ago

Should the government increase the tax rate on profits earned from the sale of stocks, bonds, and real estate?

Capital gains are the profits earned from the the sale of stocks, bonds and properties. Investment managers pay a 15 to 20 percent capital gains tax on profits earned from their customers’ holdings. Supporters of the increase argue that capital gains should be taxed like any other income and should be raised to at least 31.5% (the average U.S. tax rate). Opponents of an increase argue that taxing capital gains will discourage investments in the U.S. economy and prohibit growth.

▲ 47.9k Answer Discuss Knowledge check •••+ My feed React Report Follow

@Morallyambiguous from Maine disagreed…3yrs3Y

We should not be taxing transactions. To do so is complex, inefficient and also unfair given the absence of any indexation of capital values for inflation.

▲ 98 agree

@9FG5T2K from New York disagreed…3yrs3Y

No, the taxes as is are already unreasonably high for the middle class in terms of income. There's no need to punish people on their capital gains as well.

▲ 66 agree

@9SGS2K2 from Kansas answered…2yrs2Y

Should the government increase the tax rate on profits earned from the sale of stocks, bonds, and real estate?

Yes, but only after a certain amount such as $1 million. Middle class Americans who's savings are tired up in stocks via 401(k)s should have not their retiremen…

▲ 71 agree

@BDW6VKS from Maryland answered…3wks3W

Should the government increase the tax rate on profits earned from the sale of stocks, bonds, and real estate?

Yes, but only for large multinational corporations

▲ 5

@BD8CMN5 from New York answered…2mos2MO

Should the government increase the tax rate on profits earned from the sale of stocks, bonds, and real estate?

Only for large multinational corporations

▲ 4

@9B7J95Gfrom Pennsylvania answered…3yrs3Y

Should the government increase the tax rate on profits earned from the sale of stocks, bonds, and real estate?

Yes, but only stocks and real estate

▲ 5

+

Expand

Toggle voterbase

Statistics are shown for this demographic

x America

Political party

Voting for candidate

County

Zipcode

Answer Overview

Response rates from 417k America voters.

37% Yes	63% No
33% Yes	55% No
2% Yes, and increase to the average U.S. tax rate (31.5%)	7% No, increasing the capital gains tax will limit investment in our economy
1% Yes, on stocks and bonds but not real estate	1% No, and abolish capital gains taxes
1% Yes, and all income should be taxed at the same rate

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 417k America voters.

Loading data...

Loading chart...

Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 417k America voters.

Loading data...

Loading chart...

Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from America voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

@8JCJLWV from Texas answered…6yrs6Y

Consumption and use taxes are preferred to taxes on productive capital/savings.

▲ 17 Reply Agree Disagree Link •••Tell me more React Request reference + My feed Report Block user Follow

@9SGS2K2 from Kansas answered…2yrs2Y

Yes, but only after a certain amount such as $1 million. Middle class Americans who's savings are tired up in stocks via 401(k)s should have not their retirement taxed to oblivion but the ultra wealthy should pay a high capital gains tax.

▲ 7 Reply Agree 1 Disagree Link •••Tell me more React Request reference + My feed Report Block user Follow

@BDW6VKS from Maryland answered…3wks3W

Yes, but only for large multinational corporations

▲ 5 ▲Reply Agree Disagree Link •••Tell me more React Request reference + My feed Report Block user Follow 1

@BD8CMN5 from New York answered…2mos2MO

Only for large multinational corporations

▲ 4 ▲Reply Agree Disagree Link •••Tell me more React Request reference + My feed Report Block user Follow 1

@mechanicalloser from Texas answered…2yrs2Y

We should ensure fairness, support the needs of the "least of these," and encourage the wealthy to use their resources in ways that benefit the wider community. This could involve a nuanced perspective that acknowledges the importance of supporting both the vulnerable in society and the health of the economy as a whole, perhaps suggesting that those with more resources have a greater responsibility to contribute to the welfare of all.

▲ 3 ▲Reply Agree Disagree Link •••Tell me more React Request reference + My feed Report Block user Follow 1

@9B7J95Gfrom Pennsylvania answered…3yrs3Y

Yes, but only stocks and real estate

▲ 5 ▲Reply Agree Disagree Link •••Tell me more React Request reference + My feed Report Block user Follow

@93FQRFK from Texas answered…4yrs4Y

No and lower them and lower taxes on stock earnings

▲ 5 ▲Reply Agree Disagree Link •••Tell me more React Request reference + My feed Report Block user Follow

@93HQKWF from Virginia answered…4yrs4Y

Yes, but on real estate only

▲ 4 ▲Reply Agree Disagree Link •••Tell me more React Request reference + My feed Report Block user Follow

Join the discussion

Latest News

Stay up-to-date on the most recent “Capital Gains Tax” news articles, updated frequently.

@ISIDEWITH submitted…2yrs2Y

Harris's Tax Plan Targets High-Income Households

Under her plan, taxes would go up sharply on some high-income households, and top marginal tax rates would reach their highest point since 1986. The wealthiest investors and company founders would encounter sizable capital-gains tax bills that they don’t face under current law. Major pieces of the 2017 tax law expire at the end of next year absent congressional action, an outcome that lawmakers in both parties want to prevent. The expiration could give Harris leverage to demand support for some of her tax priorities. If the president and Congress do nothing, about 62% of households will see their taxes go up in 2026, according to the Tax Foundation. Under the Harris plan, that top slice of households (about 0.01%) would pay an annual minimum tax of 25% of their income—using a broader definition of income that includes unrealized gains. Under that plan, the top marginal income-tax rate for individuals would climb to 44.6% across almost all income types, compared with today’s lower top rates (23.8% on capital gains, 29.6% on some business income and over 39% on wages).

▲ 188 replies

@ISIDEWITH submitted…2yrs2Y

Harris will propose lower capital-gains tax rate

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is planning to propose a less drastic increase in the top capital-gains tax rate, breaking with a plan President Biden outlined in his budget blueprint earlier this year, according to people familiar with the matter.Harris’s advisers believe that the Biden proposal puts the rate too high and that a more-modest rate increase could better encourage investment in entrepreneurship and access to capital for small businesses, the people said. Harris’s allies argue the latest proposal still aligns with the vice president’s plan for the wealthy and corporations to pay more in taxes, with her advisers viewing it as a more appropriate balance, the people said.The Biden budget would tax capital gains at ordinary income rates—which Democrats want to raise to 39.6% from 37%—for households with taxable income over $1 million. They also want to increase that 3.8% investment-income tax to 5%, making the all-in rate 44.6%. The updated Harris proposal would still keep that $1 million threshold but set a lower top tax rate, the people said.

▲ 2115 replies

@The-Young-Turks submitted…1yr1Y

Cenk and Ana STUNNED by Unbelievable Republican Proposal

▲ 42 replies

Popular Conversations

Join in on the most popular conversations.

@VOTA asked…3yrs3Y

Which political ideology do you most identify with?

Political ideologies are coherent sets of beliefs and values that form a framework for understanding the role of government and the organization of society. They guide political behavior and policy decisions, influencing views on topics like economic distribution, individual liberties, and social justice.…

95 replies

About This Data

Based on 417k responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

iSideWith is non-partisan — we don't advocate for any party, candidate, or position. We report what the public tells us.

Read Our Full Methodology →

Cite Or Embed This Poll

Writing about this issue? Use the live data and link back to the full results.

Cite This Poll

iSideWith. (2026). “Should the government increase the tax rate on profits earned from the sale of stocks, bonds, and real estate?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 27, 2026, from https://www.isidewith.com/polls/1311426661

Embed The Live Result

<iframe src="https://www.isidewith.com/polls/1311426661/embed" width="100%" height="300" style="max-width:540px;border:0" loading="lazy" title="Should the government increase the tax rate on profits earned from the sale of stocks, bonds, and real estate? &mdash; iSideWith Poll"></iframe>
<p style="font:13px sans-serif;margin:.4em 0"><a href="https://www.isidewith.com/polls/1311426661">Should the government increase the tax rate on profits earned from the sale of stocks, bonds, and real estate? &mdash; iSideWith Poll</a></p>

Preview