Taxes are the legal claims of the government of a country and all citizens are morally and legally bound to pay their fair share of tax. A large percentage of people who pay tax think as if the government is trying to steal their hard earned money, but it is not true. Money collected from taxes helps a country to become stronger and helps government provide a variety of services to its citizens. People earn lots of money using the prosperity of the state and prosper in their life. It is therefore, the right of the government to get its share from your income that you have made with the resources of the state. Therefore, everybody should pay his or her taxes regularly and willingly.
The government provides many services with our tax money. The infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, dams, railways which are available to the society, utilize tax money. Money collected from taxes is also used to provide public security like police, fire safety, army, navy and air force and to buy arms for them. Keeping roads clean, water treatment, street lights, trash removal and maintenance of public parks requires a lot of money. The government also provides some level of free or subsidized health services to its citizens including preventive immunization shots, disaster relief etc. Free education is also imparted to poor students. Maintenance of historic monuments, government aid, emergency relief, elections, agriculture, commerce, energy, urban development, treasury, judiciary are all funded by the tax money paid by us.
Taxes are imposed in many forms, for example: income tax, sales tax, excise, toll, house tax etc. Usually people with higher income pay a higher percentage of tax than the people with lower income and those with very low income do not have to pay tax.
Resisting taxes has risks. It could result in penalty and prison time and could complicate life immensely.
Chanakya stressed: “Taxes should be collected the way a honey bee collets the honey from the flower”. The flower is willing to give up its sweetness, but the bee also takes care that only a little is taken without hurting the flower. Regular tax payers get many financial advantages from the government and are respected by the government as well.
Dr (Mrs) Archana Bharat
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