It is not always clear to the layman why taxes are needed. Comparing their income with the expenditures of state structures, the idea involuntarily arises that the amount of contributions to the treasury is somewhat overstated. But if you think about the purpose of these payments, it becomes clear why such a world order is needed.
History of occurrence
People in the past millennia accepted the need to pay part of their income to replenish the treasury. Every resident of the state must understand why taxes are needed, and must periodically give a small amount to the development of education, medicine, and the maintenance of the army. The company cannot function normally without a certain cash flow.
The useful function of taxes is obvious, although not very pleasant for some individuals. Earlier, due to taxes, crazy ideas of rulers to capture the world were realized. But there were positive states in history in which medical and philosophical organizations were built, care for the poor was carried out, orphanages were built.
For the functioning of all state institutions, a continuous cash flow is required. Moreover, the more socially significant the policy is carried out, the higher the percentage of payment to the treasury becomes. Why do we need taxes if the authorities themselves can print the necessary amount of money? The answer to this question may be the analogy of comparison with the internal separate structure of society. Take the housing sector.
Similar payouts
We will try to answer why the state needs taxes, describing the operation of one multi-storey building. Utilities are paid monthly. Moreover, everyone is well aware of the need for such an action and carefully monitors each item of receipts. Money is handed over for the receipt of heat, garbage collection, maintenance of yard buildings and communications in good condition.
The absence of such payments threatens a collapse for the life of a huge number of apartment owners. Monthly payments allow people not to worry about the state of their housing while they are busy with more important things. So the state takes upon itself the main concern for maintaining peace within society, rendering assistance to the sick and weak. External relations of the country also require the provision of reliable protection in the form of maintaining the army.
In any society, taxes exist, since the state can function only if they exist. Where do the taxes go? The responsibility for the distribution of material resources rests entirely with the leadership elected by a majority of votes.
Statehood
In a developed society, the question does not arise where taxes go. Everyone feels their effect on their daily lives. This is medicine, education, social needs. Payment of taxes in Russia is fixed at the legislative level. Thus, Article 57 of the Constitution obliges every adult citizen to pay taxes up to a certain date annually and immediately in some cases.
The tax system is based on the rules of prosecution in violation of such requirements. These responsibilities are assigned to a separate structure: the tax office. The treasury is wholly owned by the company that entrusted its management to a separate group of persons. When paying the required amount, a person needs to perceive this as payment for services provided by the state.
The modern tax system is imperfect. There are many nuances of payment in each individual region.The amount depends on the standard of living, the cost of goods and services, the cost of utilities.
The obvious benefits of fees
The economic nature and need for taxes lies in the development of society. The process of modernizing obsolete objects and structures is ongoing. Such a mechanism should not stop, because the basis of life is movement.
It is often unclear why a citizen should pay taxes if he does not receive a dime from the state. The answer will be the same reason: thanks to conscious citizens, a society exists. If there are people who are evading this responsibility, then the oversight body, the tax inspectorate, does not work well.
Whether there will be an imperfection of the legislative framework - it depends on each citizen. Lack of participation in public life gives rise to the effect of the separation of power from the people. Everything is in the hands of people. If they were not indifferent to the fate of the state, then it would be impossible to evade duties.
Change in fees
Unfortunately, the economic model is built according to the laws of life: everything changes and does not stand still. That is why taxes are raised. Society is developing and every day someone needs to compensate for new costs. Buyers are forced to pay extra and, in turn, they also need to recover the lost. This chain runs randomly through companies and organizations and, as a result, spills out into the costs of government agencies.
The authorities are forced to raise taxes to equalize the balance of cash flows. This process is created by the people themselves, but the general opinion is the same: "the state strips the population." Erroneous views arise due to narrow thinking. If you look at the problem in a more general sense, it becomes clear why the state levies taxes.
Domestic policy
To determine why and how much the state needs to collect taxes, you need to consider where the main costs from the treasury go.
- Housing and utilities (partially offset by the budget).
- Judicial and other state institutions: social committees, state employment service, consumer protection.
- Medical organizations: clinics, hospitals, motels, nursing homes.
- Educational structures: schools, universities, colleges, academies, research centers.
- Military departments: army, police, secret services, prosecutors, Ministry of Emergencies.
- Cultural institutions: museums, monuments.
- Housing and other programs: home, car, student loans.
There is a more extensive list of state costs that are taken from taxes. These include the elimination of accidents after natural disasters, assistance to neighboring states, and the conduct of foreign policy.
External costs
When asked why the state needs taxes, it should indicate the costs of conducting foreign policy. The taxpayers' funds go to the settlement of military conflicts, the work of foreign intelligence, improving the knowledge of the scientific world through joint projects. External communications are necessary for the country to function in the general economic system. For this, monetary funds are created between the participating countries.
Fluctuations in the ruble exchange rate affect the welfare of all citizens. Compensate for this difference due to all the same taxes. To purchase foreign products, you must pay customs duty. It is also needed to stimulate demand in the domestic market.
If the tax on the import of goods from abroad is abolished, then domestic production will not be able to compete due to the lack of interaction between industries within the country. And, as a result, the authorities will be forced to increase the amount of the contribution to the treasury for citizens.
General principles
The concept and occurrence of taxes is currently based on the experience of past centuries. It is in this form that the state can develop without prejudice to the rights of society. When creating new laws for the payment of contributions to the treasury, they are guided by the following principles:
- Every law should not infringe on human rights. Justice consists in the uniform redistribution of the tax burden on all citizens according to their income. An increase in the latter leads to an increase in payments to the treasury on a progressive scale.
- The drafting of legislative acts should not occur for personal reasons of the authorities. The texts clearly prescribe the method of calculating the amount of the contribution, the category of citizens, how the payment will be charged, its terms and limitations, and the procedure for resolving disputes.
- The state provides the possibility of simple tax payment for citizens, the optimal mode of operation of institutions involved in receiving documents from the population.
- The administrative staff of the tax structure should not consume resources dimensionlessly. Strict restrictions are introduced on its quantity and material compensation to employees.
Development
The tax base is constantly changing. There is an exchange of world experience. So, most obsolete articles are canceled. If we compare the system of cash inflows to the treasury with other countries, many consider the tax base of Russia to be optimal. As a result, each person in society bears a feasible burden to maintain the state.
Legislatively the following changes were made:
- For enterprises and organizations, the tax was 20%, which is significantly lower than the previous border of 35%.
- Value added tax is kept at 18%. Again, the figure has been reduced from 20%.
- Private income is charged 13% regardless of the amount.
The figures given are optimal and do not infringe on the rights of individuals. And in order to support poor families, a policy of stimulating the population through payments and the return of the previously paid tax part is being pursued.
Population stimulation
To improve the living standards of the population, thanks to the collected taxes, they pursue an incentive policy. So, there is a payment program for the second born child. For society, this is an important event helping to curb population decline. Similar actions are being taken to help young families buy housing. In the form of tax deductions, the state returns 13% of the cost.
Poor and large families are given a different tax rate, or they do not pay it at all. Similar payments can be received by working people for home repair, operations, training and leisure.
Varieties
There is a huge list of taxes that simply does not fit within the article. Here are just a few of them:
- Transport. The funds received go to road maintenance and to the road traffic administration.
- Value added tax is needed to maintain the structures involved in the exchange of goods. Revenues are combined with the general money of the state and are used for general needs.
- Each employee is forced to pay 13% of the salary. Funds are returned in the form of state services: medicine, protection, pension insurance and job losses.
- There are taxes on winning the lottery and other gambling. Payments should be made by everyone who receives income from their activities.
State Objectives
To collect a certain percentage of taxes from citizens, the task of power structures is to give them the opportunity to earn. For this, long-term training of professionals in their field is carried out, carried out with the money of taxpayers.
Only trained personnel will be able to control state spending at the proper level. Indeed, in case of poverty, people will not take the declared interest from anyone. This is the task of the tax authority - to raise money for the future needs of society.
Received funds flow to the Center. Next comes the redistribution by region in accordance with the needs of the population. Part of this money is taken up by the maintenance of state workers, military structures and others.
Those who evade duties are expected to be prosecuted by supervisory officers. Failure to pay tax is a crime, and criminal penalties are provided for, up to and including imprisonment for several years.It all depends on the amount of damage caused to the state.
