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Chapter 14 Government Revenue & Spending. Sec 1. How Taxes Work. Government Revenue. Street lighting, highways, law enforcement, & the court system Government also provides aid for people in need. Government Revenue. Where does the money come from to pay for such goods and services?.
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Government Revenue • Street lighting, highways, law enforcement, & the court system • Government also provides aid for people in need
Government Revenue • Where does the money come from to pay for such goods and services?
Government Revenue • Borrowing & lotteries • Rights to tax are set in the U.S. Constitution and in state constitutions
Principles of Taxation • Benefits taxpayers receive from taxes • Their ability to pay
Question 1 • Can you explain why a worker earns $264 but receives a paycheck for less than $264?
Question 2 • What happens to the amount earned not received by the employee? Meaning where did the $30.84 that the employee go to?
Benefits-Received Principle • Financing of road construction & maintenance through gasoline • Difficult for governments to asses exactly how much different taxpayers benefit from services like national defense, national parks, local police, fire protection, and public education
Ability-to-Pay Principle • People with higher incomes will pay more than people of lower incomes • The level of benefits is not a consideration
Ability-to-Pay Principle • Questions to Consider • Should everyone pay the same percentage of income? • Should those with higher incomes pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes?
Criteria for Taxation • Equity, Simplicity, & Efficiency
Equity • Requires people in similar situations pay a similar amount of taxes • Example • Everyone pays the same price for tax • Some believe • Equity requires that people with higher incomes pay more than people with lower incomes
Simplicity • Should be NO confusion bout the time the tax is due and the amount to be paid • Sales tax meets the criterion of simplicity
Efficiency • Taxpayers’ view • Tax efficiency can be judged by the amount of effort and expense it takes to pay the tax • Individual income tax best meets the criterion efficiency
Tax Base & Structures • Tax base, each type of wealth is subject to taxes • Individual income, corporate income, sales, and property
Individual Income Tax • Wages, interests, dividends, and tips • All taxes are ultimately paid from Income, but using income as a tax base means that the amount of tax is directly linked to a person’s earnings
Corporate Income Tax • From savings & investment in the form of interests & dividends
Sales Tax • Generally imposed on a wide range of goods or services • Percentage of the posted price of the good or service • Included in the final price the buyer pays • The seller then passes the tax revenue collected from customers on to the government that has imposed the tax
Property Tax • Generally real estate • Pay on the values of their buildings and the land • Property tax is generally included in rent charges • Can be imposed on other assets like automobiles
If overall personal income rises, the individual income tax base grows • If there are fewer homes or businesses in a certain locality or if the value declines, the property tax base shrinks
Tax Structures • The way in which taxes are imposed on the different tax bases gives rise to three different tax structures • These tax structures are distinguished from one another
Proportional Tax • Flat tax, rate of the tax is the same for all taxpayers • Example • All taxpayers in a given state might be charged a flat 15% tax on the income • No matter a person’s income is
Progressive Tax • Income increases so does your tax rate • United States • Federal income tax = progressive tax • Tax rate increases as income increases
Regressive Tax • Income paid in taxes decreases as income increases • Sales tax
Section 2 Federal Taxes
Individual Income Tax • The federal government takes in around $2.5 trillion in revenue each year • Individual income tax , Social insurance taxes, Corporate income taxes, Estate taxes, Gift taxes, Excise taxes, & Customs taxes • Largest source of taxes = individual income tax • Government uses income tax • 16 Amendment to the US Constitution in 1913