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Ch. 14: Taxes and Government Spending. Section 1: What Are Taxes?. “Nothing in life is certain but death and taxes.” - Benjamin Franklin. Taxes/Revenue. A tax is a required payment to the local, state, or national government.
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Section 1: What Are Taxes? • “Nothing in life is certain but death and taxes.” -Benjamin Franklin
Taxes/Revenue • A tax is a required payment to the local, state, or national government. • Income raised by the government from taxes is called revenue.
Taxes and the Constitution • The Constitution grants that Congress may tax: “To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts, and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States.”
Types of Collection: Income Tax • Individual income tax: tax on a person’s annual earnings.
Types of Collection: Sales Tax • Sales tax is a tax on the dollar value of a good or service being purchased.
Types of Collection: Property Tax • Property tax is a tax on the value of a property.
Types of Collection: Corporate Income Tax • Corporate income tax is a tax on the earnings of corporations.
Types of Collection: Capital Gains • Long-Term Capital Gains Taxes are paid on earnings from investments held for more than 1 year (less than 1 year is taxed as income tax).
Tax Structures: Proportional Tax • A proportional tax is when the tax rate percentage is the same for all income levels.
Tax Structures: Progressive Tax • A progressive tax is when the tax percentage rate increases as income increases.
Tax Structures: Regressive Tax • A regressive tax is when the tax percentage rate decreases as income increases. • Does this ever happen? Examples?
Tax Structures: Regressive Tax • A regressive tax is when the tax percentage rate decreases as income increases. • Does this ever happen? Examples?
Section 2: Federal Taxes • The Federal Government is the branch that receives the most taxes.
Tax Withholding • Employers withhold money from employees paychecks throughout the year and send it to the government. • Estimated amount of taxes owed.
Tax Return • At the end of the year, the amount withheld might have been too much or too little. • Tax payers must file a tax form which either returns or pays money.
Personal Exemptions • Tax exemptions are amounts of money that you don’t need to pay taxes on. • Examples: • Charitable donations • Interest on loan • Business expenses/investment • Medical expenses
Gross Income vs. Taxable Income • Gross income is the total amount of money earned. • Taxable income is after tax deductions have been taken out. • Taxable Income = Gross Income – Deductions
Practice Problem: • You make $30,000/year, your spouse makes $40,000 • You gave $5,000 away this year • You paid $4,000 in interest for loans • Your tax rate is 15% • How much do you end up with?
Tax Incentives • The tax system incentivizes certain behavior • You pay less if you… • Marry • Have children • Donate money • Invest in a home • You pay more if you… • Purchase a second (vacation) property • Smoke or gamble • Live lavishly
Section 3: Federal Spending • The Federal Budget goes primarily to the Military, Medicare/Medicaid, and Social Security.
Mandatory vs. Discretionary Spending • Mandatory Spending: Spending required by current legislation • Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid • Discretionary Spending: Spending that is optional (not required) • Military, Transportation, Agriculture
Discretionary “Other” Spending • Dept. of Education • Dept. of Agriculture • Dept. of Energy • Corps of Engineers • Dept. of Labor • Dept. of Health Services • Dept. of Energy • EPA
Debt/Deficit • Spending outpaces Revenue
Section 4: State and Local Spending • State and Local governments spend money on infrastructure (roads) and education.
State Budgets • State revenue comes from… • State income tax • Sales tax • Excise tax (Sin tax) • State money is spent on… • Education • Roads/infrastructure • Public welfare
Local Budgets • Local budgets receive most of their money through… • Property taxes • Local government spends most of their money on… • Education (Local area school district)
Local Budgets/Education • If funding for schools is local, what effect does that have on public school systems?