Hartford: A Few Millionaires Want Higher Estate Tax Rates

But about 24% of all participants, 35% with more than $5 million in assets, said they are more concerned about estate taxes this year than last year because their states have enacted or increased estate taxes or similar taxes.

The researchers found that 73% of all participants said they most agreed with the statement that the estate tax is "double taxation and it's unfair," or that "It's a hideous tax on death."

But the researchers found that 79% of the participants with $1 million to $2 million in assets, who would not be subject to estate taxes under current exemption rules, said they felt that way, while only 72% of the participants with more than $5 million shared those sentiments.

The proportion of participants who said they most agreed with the statements that, "The very rich deserve to pay more taxes, or that the estate tax is "a necessary evil to help the federal government meet its expenses" or "a necessary tax to ensure a level economic playing field for future generations" was only about 20% for participants with $1 million to $2 million in assets and about 27% for participants with more than $5 million in assets.

The percentage of participants who said the federal government should increase the estate tax rate was only 1% for participants with $1 million to $2 million in assets and more than 12% for participants with more than $5 million in assets.