Seven percent admit to cheating on taxes

CHICAGO, April 15 (UPI) -- Even though many U.S. taxpayers complain about taxes, a U.S. survey indicates only 7 percent admit to cheating on their taxes.

A DDB Life Style Study survey uncovered that demographically, the biggest difference between tax cheats and non-cheats this year was still gender.

Of admitted cheats, 72 percent were men. Fifty-five percent of tax cheats were age 45 and under, but there were no other significant demographic differences between tax cheats and non-tax cheats, the survey said.

However, the dishonesty that characterizes those who are tax cheats was also evident across many other chronic wanton behaviors.

For example, tax cheats were more likely than non-cheats to keep the wrong change given to them by a cashier, took money from their child's piggy bank that they didn't intend to return, valued their own happiness over that of others and declare they would put themselves ahead of their kids.

"The behavioral patterns of those who evade their taxes illustrate that tax cheats also have an inflated sense of entitlement compared to those who dutifully obey the law and pay their taxes in full," Denise Kalfayan Delahorne, group strategy director at DDB Chicago, said in a statement. "Tax cheats were more likely to consider themselves as 'better' and 'more attractive' than most people, and tend to value their own happiness ahead of others including their own children."

No survey details were provided.