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Why Those in the United States Pay Income Taxes

When it comes to taxes, not many people will try to claim that they enjoy paying them, but it is a fact of life in all countries that some form of taxation is going to be taken in order to fund the government. While there are plenty of other ways that a population is taxed, in the United States, the federal and state governments take income taxes as a primary source of revenue not only from individual citizens, but from companies and other legal entities, as well. Without these vital funds there are many things that would not be able to be built such as infrastructure like roads, bridges and all the signs that guide people from one place to the next. National defense is another big reason for the taxes, but there are plenty who argue that the government doesn't spend the money right or have other criticisms of the system. No one wants to voluntarily give money away, but the agreed upon principle is that it is better to try and use a system of taxation that is designed to take a fair amount from everyone and put it towards the 'common good' of the nation and its people. While it may not be a perfect system, it is the one we have now and understanding it can help alleviate a little bit of the irritation that paying taxes can cause.

In the US form of taxation, at least as it applies to individuals, the concept is that only a certain percentage of one's money is taken in taxes and that percentage is taken after one's income is adjusted by a host of other factors. The system for income taxes in the US is controlled by the Internal Revenue Service at the federal level and each state has its version of a department of revenue for tax collection, as well. This means that depending upon where you live, you will pay different percentages of taxes to your state. Some states rely more or less on sales tax, property tax or other forms of tax to keep their state going so you would do best to learn about the specific state you live in when it comes to state taxes. When it comes to income taxes in the United States, everyone's income is used in a progressive tax bracket system that charges different percentages as your income grows from one bracket up to the next. That means those who earn more, pay more, but only for the upper brackets. It's the best chance at fairness we have seen so far.