Corporate executives are broadly excited about the prospects of a comprehensive tax overhaul making it to President Donald Trump's desk in the not-so-distant future, but skepticism has emerged as to whether such a move would generate the benefits promised by the proposal's architects.

The latest iteration of CNBC's Global CFO Council Survey – which regularly polls a group of nearly 100 financial officers from AT&T, Facebook, Kroger and other international organizations – showed that 54.2 percent of the North American CFOs polled support the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Just 20.8 percent said they oppose the legislation, a version of which passed through the House last week. Just hours later, the Senate Finance Committee advanced their own tax proposal to the full floor of the upper chamber. Discussions are expected to resume on Capitol Hill next week once lawmakers return from their Thanksgiving holiday.

More than 83 percent of respondents to the CNBC survey said corporate tax reform would rev up economic growth in the U.S., while 70.9 percent said an overhaul would create jobs. But only about a third of respondents – 33.4 percent – said a finalized tax plan would generate stronger wages for U.S. workers.

Wage increases have been a key talking point in recent months for Trump, members of his administration and the GOP lawmakers responsible for crafting the tax plans. Just last month, Trump's Council of Economic Advisers published a report suggesting "the average household would, conservatively, realize an increase in wage and salary income of $4,000" as a result of a reformed tax code.

But a minority of CFOs agreed with that assessment, particularly as it relates to the repatriation of overseas earnings. Trump and Republican leadership have pitched a reduced one-time tax on earnings held offshore – outside of the reach of the Internal Revenue Service – in order to spur companies into bringing that money back into the U.S. Tax-writers have suggested such a provision would encourage businesses to either reinvest that capital into new equipment and technology, or provide raises for existing workers.

And yet the CNBC survey indicated less than 46 percent of the CFOs polled would repatriate their overseas earnings if such a provision was signed into law. More than 8 percent said they would not repatriate, while 37.5 percent said they weren't holding much money overseas to begin with.

When asked what their respective companies would do with that repatriated money, the most common responses were "not applicable" and "buyback stock" (both 29.2 percent). Just 8 percent said they'd "increase headcount," and less than 21 percent said they'd "invest in new plants, equipment or technology."

The survey comes just a week after Gary Cohn, the president's National Economic Council director, appeared at a CEO Council conference hosted by The Wall Street Journal. While Cohn was on stage, executives in the crowd were asked whether they would increase internal investments if the tax overhaul managed to pass. When only a few hands were raised to confirm those intentions, Cohn asked the audience, "Why aren't the other hands up?"

Though the CNBC survey shows overwhelmingly that CFOs are mostly supportive of a tax plan that would sharply reduce the top business tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent and restructure the tax obligations of partnerships and limited liability companies, it also adds fuel to arguments that consumers won't enjoy nearly the same kinds of benefits that are currently being promised by GOP leadership.

Independent analysts have questioned the plan's potential for economic stimulus, as the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Wharton Budget Model suggests America's gross domestic product would in a best case scenario be 0.8 percent higher in 2027 under the Senate's tax proposal than it would be if the current tax plan remained. Debt concerns have also been raised, as Wharton estimates the Senate's plan could add nearly $2.5 trillion to the deficit between 2018 and 2040.

Questions have also been raised as to how much the middle class – a group that Trump and lawmakers have promised is the focus of their overhaul plan – would actually benefit from the proposals under consideration. The nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation last week estimated the Senate's tax plan would raise taxes on the average American making less than $30,000 annually by 2023.