Lesson 23 — Activity 3: What Are Taxes For?
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Lesson 23 — Activity 3: What Are Taxes For?
Warm Up
Everyone
complains somewhat about taxes, whether it is GST or income tax.
However, it is important to realize how much money these taxes bring to
our economy, as well as how many jobs are created because of these taxes. Now you have learned about the various types of taxes that you pay in Canada, you will now look at what taxes are used for.
As much as you hear people grumbling about having to pay taxes, the country needs that money to pay for a lot of different things in Canada. Our taxes pay for infrastructure (buildings and roads), national and local programs, the RCMP, health care, education, military, and a lot more.
@pexels
Taxation takes
care of many, many things that people may take for granted. Without
taxes, the government could not support many of the programs we have in
place in our country, including health care, income assistance, education, pensions, child protection services, employment insurance, and affordable housing. Let's take a look at some of the areas below that are paid for through taxes.
Taxation takes
care of many, many things that people may take for granted. Without
taxes, the government could not support many of the programs we have in
place in our country, including health care, income assistance, education, pensions, child protection services, employment insurance, and affordable housing. Let's take a look at some of the areas below that are paid for through taxes.
Governments
are continually searching for additional funds to pay for the needs of
their citizens and businesses. At the local level, taxes support
spending for schools, roads, libraries, athletic facilities, fire and
police services, and the salaries of municipal employees.
@pexels
Taxes pay for libraries.
Governments are continually searching for additional funds to pay for the needs of their citizens and businesses. At the local level, taxes support spending for schools, roads, libraries, athletic facilities, fire and police services, and the salaries of municipal employees.
@pexels
Taxes pay for libraries.
@istock
Taxes pay for health care.
Provinces collect taxes for highway construction and upkeep, health care (including hospitals and nurses), education (including teachers), buildings, and law enforcement.
The federal government collects taxes to pay for things such as public safety, national defence, support to the elderly, and support for children's benefits. You will learn more about exactly where your tax dollars go in the next lesson.
@creativecommons
Taxes pay for national defence.
Think of the number of jobs that would be cut if we didn't have taxes to pay for these important jobs. There would be no schools, no policing, no doctors or nurses, and no hospitals. Vital services would no longer exist without taxation dollars, and if they did exist, only those who could afford to pay would be able to access these services. So, although we might not want to pay our share of taxes, the money that we do pay to the government is spent on important things that continue to preserve our way of life in Canada.
Self-check!
Try This!
Try the question below on your own first, and then click on the tab to check your answers! You can look back in the lesson to find the answers.
Find at least two areas that your tax dollars go to at the local level, the provincial level, and the federal level.