Taxes represent one of life’s unfortunate burdens. However, despite the fact that people begrudge paying them, they are a necessity of life.
The certainty of taxes is undeniable, as every individual who lives and thrives within a society is required by law to pay them. A person, whatever their status in life, contributes towards tax in one way or another. It could be argued that everyone is obliged to pay taxes, right from the moment of birth to the last moment of one’s existence.
The government is responsible for the imposition of taxes on its citizens. It is the means by which it raises the funds necessary for the continued survival of the country’s infrastructure, education systems and healthcare, which all depend on direct or indirect taxation. In most cases, changes in the levels of taxation must be enacted by legislation to achieve legitimacy and be effectively collected from the population. In this context, taxes are never made in voluntary fashion, but rather made possible and enforced by law.
In theory, taxes are a form of support for the state. In actual practice, however, the government needs to strictly monitor the enforcement of the laws pertaining to taxation. The subject of taxes is therefore a crucial component of discussions about economics and politics. This is due to the fact that the manner by which states utilise the taxes collected is often placed under close scrutiny. Taxes are, after all, money, so issues of misuse and corruption are always to the forefront.
Due to the importance of taxation, governments try to ensure that it is collected efficiently and properly. The agency tasked with tax collection is among the busiest of government offices. Notable examples of these agencies are, in the UK, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and in the USA, the United States’ Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The rationale behind taxation varies. As a prime necessity, it is concerned with the basic survival of a state. The revenue gathered from taxes serves as the primary source of funds for building and repairing public infrastructure and supporting public institutions. This ensures that the public continue to enjoy the use and services of these facilities and institutions.
One purpose of taxation that has been subjected to much debate and controversy is the attempt at equalising the distribution of wealth. By using the money collected through taxation, a government can help the poorer members of its population and raise their standard of living. It is a noble concept, no doubt, but its weakness has often been in its method of implementation, which has left it open to the pitfalls of corruption.
The collection of taxes is a necessity of modern living. Its method of implementation might be riddled with defects, but its positive purpose far outweighs the negative. Taxation is only a burden when it is perverted by those who seek not the continuation and preservation of a state, but its demise. Taxes exist for the sole purpose of ensuring the continuity of the community’s way of life.
