Bill Gates: 'Taxes are going to have to go up' on rich people

Gates has joined fellow billionaire Warren Buffett in the belief that America's rich need to be paying more taxes.

In an interview with the BBC Wednesday morning, the founder of Microsoft expressed his desire to see "a sense of shared sacrifice" from his fellow high earners.

"Well, the United States has a huge budget deficit, so taxes are going to have to go up," he said. "And I certainly agree that they should go up more on the rich than everyone else. That’s just justice."

Gates added: "Right now, I don’t feel like people like myself are paying as much as we should.

President Barack Obama and Democrats have repeatedly proposed tax reforms that would require rich people to pay the same tax rates as members of the middle class, only to see them crushed by Senate Republicans at every attempt.

WATCH: Video from BBC, which was broadcast on January 25, 2012.