Many citizens dislike and fail to understand the role of taxation in government. They hope that the taxes would be repelled from the system. These individuals feel that it is unfair for the government to take off a large percentage of their income without considering their opinions and thoughts. Sometimes, they go to an extent of comparing their tax rates in different countries and feel that the tax they pay is exaggerated in comparing to other states. If the government could take off the tax, millions of citizens would match into the streets celebrating the new development. To many people, this day would be labeled a freedom day. The high tax rates imposed upon the people by the meddling government causes more harm and pushes the citizens to the wall. The United States government introduced income tax in 1913, before then; taxation was not popular, and it remained a nightmare to many. For a government to operate without taxes, it requires reducing its structures so that it can comfortably operate with revenue collected from tariffs. The paper will candidly and comprehensively address the reasons why the government should take off the tax. Moreover, a counterargument opposing the why the government should not take off the taxes will be discussed.
The government should take off the taxes imposed on the people. If this is achieved, the money paid in income tax will not be taken away. People will have the right to use the money in various ways. They can spend, save or even give out the money for donations. Individuals will spend the money according to their preferences without being subjected to specific choices. The government needs to realize that people goes through a lot of sacrifices to raise the money. They wake up at dawn to go to their workplaces and work for long hours to gain income. They put massive efforts to improve their job but later on, they are demoralized by the high taxation rates that cut off their spending. Brown affirms, “You are the one who gets up every day to go to work. You're the one who puts in long hours. You're the one who makes your job what it is” (Browne).Therefore, the government has no reason whatsoever, to induce taxes to people.
When the taxes are repelled, people will have the right to spend every dollar they earn with what they like (Browne). Citizens will go on vacations in their places of choices and enjoy life with the amount taken by the government. Life will be enjoyable and across as people enjoys a life free of tax.
Moreover, taxes should be removed because of the current system of taxation is not transparent. A study conducted by the Pew Research Center indicated that, “Americans aren’t exactly excited about the tax system” (Blakemore). There are numerous situations where the government imposes the taxes unfairly. Starting off a new business or venture has remained a difficult task to the people. The taxes imposed on business permits are high and fails to consider the returns of the owners. The government imposes high taxes because of the universal health care system that have failed to perform in accordance with people’s expectations (Browne). If the taxes are eliminated, people will a right to determine the best health insurance packages without the government interfering with their choices (Burman & Gale). The system of taxation makes it hard for the citizens to live a good life and make choices autonomously.
High taxation discourages business because the owners and other stakeholders pay the induced deductions to the government. As a result, investors are discouraged and afraid of taking starting new ventures because the return on investment is affected by the taxes. The already established businesses will avoid any attempts to expand further as the profits are channeled to pay the taxes imposed by the government (Blakemore). Such a situation poses dire effects on a nation as the rate of economic growth slows down. The idea of the government to impose taxes on the citizens is harmful because it can result in loss of employment, weakening of the gross domestic product, and an overall drop associated with the quality of life.
When the government imposes the taxes on the citizens, it penalizes their hard work at the job place. The workforce is therefore demoralized and lacks the motivation necessary to carry out their roles in life. The citizens are demoralized because as they work hard, the taxes imposed ate huge and almost difficult to manage. This affects the morale of citizens across all fields, and this introduces an impediment for high productivity. The lack of productivity in the workplace poses a threat to the progress of a country. The international businesses also prefer not to hire enough labor force because of the high burden posed by the government.
The government should take taxes in order to be able to run the nation smoothly and fulfill the nation obligations. The tax collected helps in maintaining the roads that we use every day, running the public utility such as hospitals and public schools and provision of water. It is in white that many dislike paying tax but the fact that the money we pay as tax is used for our benefit should change our perspective on tax paying. We should view taxes as money we spend for our own good and that way can pay tax with ease. It is impossible for a government to remain functional if it eliminates the tax system. Therefore, it is high time for citizens to understand the benefits associated with paying tax and support the government towards effective implementation of an efficient tax system. Responding to Suarez, Burnam opposes the move to scrap income tax and substitute it with sales tax or value added tax because it will impose a burden to the old people (Burman & Gale).
Looking at the benefits of paying tax, we cannot feel the pinch to part some of the money we earn to the government. It is the taxes we pay that enable the police to respond to our emergencies faster. If we fail to pay tax, the government will lack the money to fuel the police cars and to pay the police their salary hence we would suffer security instability. The government is capable of providing free education and free medical care thus helping the less privileged people in the country only if the citizens pay taxes. Taxation also helps to distribute resources across the country because the government can fund the project such as building bridges and constructing roads in remote areas. The government can also be able to pay its debt effectively when its citizen pays their taxes. The government, therefore, has the right to mandate its citizen to pay the taxes for smooth running of the nation.
In conclusion, there is no government that can operate without taxing its citizens. This makes taxation an important element of any government. Therefore, all citizens must understand the benefits accrued and uphold high standards of compliance with the tax authority. The taxes support the operations of the government, and this improves the delivery of services to the citizens. The government requires the capital generated from taxes to support all functions including the establishment of proper infrastructural networks, schools, hospitals amongst others. It is also important to come up with a system that creates awareness of the importance and roles of taxes in an economy. In the end, citizens will understand the important of paying taxes and comply with the set standards by the government.
Work cited
Blakemore, E. (2015, March 20). There's a Good Reason Why People Really Hate Paying Their Taxes | Smart News | Smithsonian. Retrieved from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-why-people-really-hate-paying-their-taxes-180954680/?no-ist
Browne, Harry. "Changing Tax Day to Freedom Day." Harry Browne: Libertarian Politics, Articles, Books, Speeches, and Investments. N.p., 15 Apr. 2003. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
Burman, L., & Gale, W. G. (2005). The Pros and Cons of a Consumption Tax | Brookings Institution. Retrieved from http://www.brookings.edu/research/interviews/2005/03/03taxes-gale
