This one might shock you as much as it did when you found out Santa Claus isn’t real. The findings of a new poll reveal American attitudes on taxation.

The results might suggest that more and more Americans might have come to agree with libertarians when we say, “taxation is theft.”

The poll, which was conducted by the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, illuminated the widespread disillusionment with America’s current tax system.

Two-thirds of U.S. taxpayers say they spend “too much” on federal income taxes, as tax season begins. About 7 in 10 say the same about local property taxes, while roughly 6 in 10 feel that way about state sales tax. Generally speaking, Republicans are more likely than Democrats to view taxes as unfair, to say they are paying too much in taxes, and to see taxes as a poor value.

The poll found that few U.S. adults have a high level of confidence that the institutions that ultimately use their tax dollars — whether the federal government or local school districts — spend those taxes in the best interest of “people like them.” But people tend to trust governing bodies closer to home with their tax dollars slightly more: 16 percent are extremely or very confident in their local school district, compared to 6 percent for the federal government.

The poll also found that about 50 percent of those who pay federal income taxes say they would “prefer having fewer government services if it meant reducing their bill.”

The results of the poll show what most people already know: America’s system of taxation is horrible.

People see that they are not getting much in return for the money the government takes from them. But I’m sure Ukraine is loving it, right?

What is also noteworthy about this report is that it shows that Americans do not trust their government to handle the funds they get from the public. This is not a minor hiccup, it is a fundamental flaw in our government.

The question that arises is simple: Is our tax system actually intended to serve the public interest, or has it become a tool for perpetuating inefficiencies?

It might be tempting to choose the latter. It is certainly true that our government is woefully inefficient. But perhaps there is a third option: Our tax money is only going to serve the elites within and outside of the state. It is those with power who benefit the most from our hard-earned cash – especially at the federal level.

The disdain among taxpayers isn’t just about the amount of money they are being forced to fork over to the state but also about where this money goes. Given our $34.14 trillion national debt, it seems clear that the government is not acting as good stewards of the money they take from our paychecks.

Meanwhile, our government wasted about $900 billion in spending last year according to Sen. Rand Paul’s latest Festivus report. This includes $38 million to dead people, $6 million to boost tourism in Egypt, and many other complete wastes of time and money. In light of this, it’s no wonder that Americans are not happy about the nation’s taxation system.