Tax: Some Important Details

A tax is a tariff or any type of financial fee or charge that is imposed by various state or central governments on taxpayers. A taxpayer might be a legal entity or an individual. Municipal bodies, counties and local governments or provinces also have the authority to impose taxes. Tax rules and regulations are somewhat complex and they vary from one nation to another. The government agency that conducts the tax collection services in the United States is the Internal Revenue Service or IRS.

If you don’t make full payment or make partial payment of taxes, you might have to face civil penalties like confiscation of properties and fines or criminal penalties like detention.

For any nation, taxes are the main sources of revenue. They can be generally classified into two types: direct tax and indirect tax.

The taxation infrastructure of a certain country accounts for the economic and financial growth of that country to a substantial degree.

Following are the four principal necessities of taxation:

Revenue: The primary necessity for taxation is revenue. The funds gathered through taxation methods are utilized for constructing social infrastructure and investments in public utilities like schools, roads and hospitals.

Repricing: Tax is levied for regulating the usage of detrimental substances such as alcohol and tobacco.

Redistribution: This denotes an equal distribution of wealth among every segment of the society.

Representation: Taxation works as the representative of better governance and answerability.

The four necessities or aims of taxation are collectively termed as the four “R”s. The tax regulations determine on whom a tax would be levied or who has to carry the tax burden. The percentage on which a tax is levied is known as the tax rate.

Taxes can be categorized into the following different types:

  • Consumption tax
  • Capital gains tax
  • Corporation tax
  • Inheritance tax
  • Income tax
  • Excise duty
  • Property tax
  • Sales tax
  • Poll tax
  • Tariffs
  • Retirement Tax
  • Toll
  • Net worth tax or wealth tax
  • Value added tax (VAT)
  • Transfer tax

Related Articles

US tax system: What are its basic concepts?