While taxation is a hot topic to discuss around political elections, I find it baffling that citizens don't demand to know where their hard-earned tax dollars go once elections are over. While Republicans fight to reduce taxes, why isn't there more focus on how tax dollars are allocated?
My knowledge about taxes drastically increased when I took a tax course for my degree, and I had to become comfortable with filling out tax returns based on fictitious criteria. I had always weeped internally when I saw how much money was taken out of my work paychecks in high school, but now I actually saw where it all was going! I'm not here to discuss whether government should reduce taxes, but I do believe that tax-paying citizens deserve to know where their contributions to government are being allocated.
Apparently, Third Way agrees with me. The non-profit Washington group produced an itemized taxpayer receipt in hopes of educating individuals on which programs government spends the most money. According to a study conducted beforehand, most surveyors thought the biggest government expenditure was foreign aid. They were stunned to find out that the two largest government expenditures were for Social Security and Medicare. While the itemized receipt only features a breakdown for a working couple and a retired couple, it still provides a wealth of knowledge that all types of taxpayers can learn from.
No comments:
Post a Comment