| They say that the only two things we can be | | | | services, hospitals, garbage disposal, sewage |
| absolutely certain of in life are death and taxes. But | | | | sanitation, road maintenance, parks, and libraries. |
| why DO we pay taxes? There had to be a point in | | | | - Sales taxes - can be imposed at any level of |
| time when people didn't pay taxes, right? | | | | government, but the largest percentage is at the state |
| In order to answer this, we need to look into the | | | | level. The funds from sales taxes go towards the |
| history of government and society. In the beginning of | | | | State's budget and will vary from state to state. |
| human history, people lived in nomadic tribes where | | | | Income tax - is imposed at the federal level as well as |
| one person and/or his family would preside over the | | | | the state level (with some exceptions). |
| tribe. Everyone basically worked for the good of the | | | | - Income tax is a progressive tax in the United States. |
| tribe. At some point these tribes began to settle down | | | | This means that the tax rate increases as the amount |
| and villages began to form. | | | | subject to taxation increases. The proceeds from |
| It was during this time that something akin to | | | | income tax are used for the Federal budget. |
| "government" probably took hold. Throughout history | | | | There are of course other types of taxes such as the |
| there have been, and continue to be, different forms of | | | | Payroll (FICA), Capital Gains, Corporate, Estate, Gift, |
| government from dictators to monarchies to republics | | | | and Excise taxes. These taxes are used for the |
| to democracies. Each form of government would tax | | | | government's budget, with the exception of the Payroll |
| its citizens for a variety of reasons. | | | | Tax which goes to fund Social Security and Medicare. |
| Some governments may have taxed their citizens for | | | | Ideally the proceeds from taxes would benefit all |
| the benefit of a few (the wealthy) or even for the | | | | equally. However, this is not always the case as |
| common good. For example, the Roman Empire did | | | | people pay taxes, which pay for government services |
| not tax you if you were a Roman citizen AND lived | | | | that they may not use or agree with. For example a |
| within the city limits of Rome. Instead the Roman | | | | bachelor pays property tax for the local public's school |
| Empire taxed all of its conquered peoples in exchange | | | | budget even though he has no children. Another |
| for peace (Pax Romana) and other services (roads). | | | | example is people who disagree with the Federal |
| This concept of paying taxes for services has | | | | government's policy, but are required to pay taxes to |
| evolved quite a bit since the Roman Empire. We now | | | | fund the Administration's policy nonetheless. |
| have a smorgasbord of different taxes and pay for | | | | Some people refuse to pay their taxes, either for one |
| different services in our modern life. Different types of | | | | of these reasons or other reasons. They people are |
| taxes include: | | | | known as tax protesters (people who willingly fail to |
| - Real estate taxes - are imposed by local | | | | pay their taxes) and are discussed in another article. |
| government in order to pay for schools, police/fire | | | | |