Men More Likely to Cheat on Taxes, Poll Finds

If you made some “creative omissions” on your taxes this year, chances are you’re probably a man—according to a new study which claims that the majority of people who cheat on their taxes are men, or at least that those who admit to it are usually men.

The Buffalo News reports:

James Brown was right when he sang, “This is a man’s world.” Well, he was right at least when it comes to the world of tax cheats.

It turns out the overwhelming majority of people who admit they would cheat on their income taxes are men, according to a fascinating study by DDB Worldwide Communications Group, an advertising and marketing firm.

In the survey of more than 6,400 adults, 15 percent of respondents said they are likely to cheat on their taxes. Of that group, 64 percent were men—most of them single and under the age of 45.

“Men are probably less intimidated about the consequences of getting caught and believe more in their ability to talk their way out of a bad situation,” said James Lou, DDB’s chief U. S. strategist.

The potential cheaters said they would lie about their tax situation for the obvious reason—money. Forty-two percent said they are one paycheck away from disaster. The survey also asked cheaters to describe their money style. Forty-five percent said they are spenders rather than savers. No surprise there.

What do you think—what does this say about fiscal responsibility and gender? Is the poll right; do men really cheat on their taxes more often than women, or are the numbers way off? Do you think there really is a difference in how men and women handle money and do their taxes—or is it more simple, and are women just better about concealing their bad deeds, and men more likely to brag about them?