New Jerseyans want the SALT cap gone, poll finds

The removal of the $10,000 cap on the State and Local Tax Deduction imposed by congressional Republicans’ 2017 tax bill remains popular across party lines in the Garden State, according to a Farleigh Dickinson University poll released Monday.

Nearly two-thirds, 63%, said the full deduction should be restored, including roughly half of those whose taxes haven’t risen because of the cap.

“It would make sense for this to be a partisan issue, as it’s tied to Trump and to Democratic members of Congress,” FDU Poll Executive Director Dan Cassino said. “But if there’s one thing that can transcend partisanship, it’s cold, hard cash.”

Democrats, particularly those representing districts in North Jersey, have campaigned heavily on removing the cap, which they charge imposes an unfair tax burden on their constituents. Some Democrats in other states have been warier about restoring the full deduction, which mainly benefits wealthy filers in high-tax states like New Jersey.

But support for removing the cap was near identical across party lines. Sixty-three percent of Democrats wanted it gone, as did 64% of Republicans and 60% of independents. Tying former President Donald Trump to the deduction didn’t meaningfully affect the support it received from voters.

Of those who had heard of the cap, only about a third, 35%, said it had increased their taxes. Another 28% said it hadn’t, while 30% were unsure.

About a quarter, 26%, hadn’t heard of the cap at all.

“For all the coverage that the SALT cap has gotten in the press, it doesn’t directly impact everyone,” said Cassino. “Renters, people with mortgages, anyone who doesn’t itemize their deductions, they may not even notice the difference.”

College education impacted support for lifting the cap. Nearly two thirds of college-educated voters, 65%, wanted it gone, while just 51% of those without a university degree said the same.

Voters over the age of 65, 73%, were far likelier to support removing the cap than voters under 35, 43%.

An overwhelming majority of voters affected by the cap, 81%, want it removed, and 48% of the unaffected felt the same.

“There may be good reasons to support the SALT cap, as it’s a tax increase that mostly falls on wealthier people,” said Cassino. “But there aren’t that many people who see their taxes go up and think it’s a good thing.”

The poll sampled 803 registered voters through a mix of text message survey invites and live phone calls. It has a margin of error of 3.94%.