taxation

Taxation is the act of making people and organizations pay taxes.

Taxation is how a government collects money (taxes) in order to financially support itself. Governments use the money collected from citizens to pay for welfare programs, the military, roads and bridges, government employees, science programs, public schools, and the many other services a government is responsible for. Almost every country on Earth has some form of taxation system.

Taxation is not voluntary, even if the taxpayer doesn’t directly benefit from the tax they pay. You cannot refuse to pay taxes without consequences. In most countries, you will be jailed or suffer another punishment for not paying taxes.

The first records of the word taxation come from around 1250. It comes from the Medieval Latin �ٲ�����پ�ōn, meaning “an appraising.”

The idea of taxation, however, is very old, going back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, though the system was much different. From ancient Greece through the Middle Ages, taxation often took the form of tithes, meaning a landowner would give a portion of their harvest to the government. Indirect taxing of sales and trade was more common, and direct taxes were often only imposed on the wealthy.

If you know your American history, you know that taxation played a large role in the creation of the United States. Famously, the American colonists refused any “taxation without representation.” They argued that they should not have to pay taxes to the British government when they were not represented by any members of Parliament. The British government disagreed, and the argument eventually resulted in the American Revolutionary War.

Some countries make enough money from other sources that their citizens don’t pay any income tax at all. For example, the United Arab Emirates funds the government through the taxation of oil sales and banking, while Bermuda supports itself through employer payroll taxes and land taxes.

Unsurprisingly, taxation is very unpopular with the people who must actually pay taxes.

The fact that New York pays more into the federal government than it gets back is not a "fundamental injustice."

It's inherent in the concept of federal taxation that richer states would put in more.

— Bill Hammond (@NYHammond)

I get paid tomorrow.

I earned $913 and after taxes I get $777.

Taxation is theft.

— Francisco T 🎗🌺📦 (@FTthemusician)

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• tax
• economics
• finance
• government
• income tax
• property tax
• sales tax
• infrastructure
• welfare

True or False?

The main reason for taxation is the government’s need to collect money in order to finance itself.