“In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes” – Benjamin Franklin 

Most children are taught that taxes are the price you pay for government services. However, this view normally changes when you receive your first paycheck. After working hard for your money, giving it away to some bureaucrat seems less appealing. Not wanting to pay taxes is a feeling common in almost every American throughout the history of the nation. The revolutionary war was started in large part due to unfair taxes. 

The founding fathers and their generation of Americans didn’t believe in an income tax. John Locke, whose ideas greatly influenced the founding fathers, believed that taxes should be taken voluntarily. Today almost everything you do or own is taxed, your income, your property, what you buy, even after you die when you give your money to your family it’s taxed. Although some amount of taxation is necessary I believe that what’s in place is far too excessive. None of this even accounts for how the government uses the money it forces you to give them. 

Our government has had a history of mismanagement of its annual budget, whether it’s being funneled to corrupt politicians or being left in hostile nations. The U.S debt is up to 23.3 trillion dollars and they expect the taxpayer to bail them out while they 

continue to increase the debt year after year. The government doesn’t care for or have the ability to properly manage the money it takes from its people. The government also likes to invest your money into whatever it wants regardless of your opinions.

The government also spends your money on services you don’t need or support. If you lived in Indiana in 1907-1974 and paid taxes then you were forced to financially support the forced sterilization of Native Americans. All Catholics are forced to support abortion even though their religion forbids it. The counter to this point would be that all taxpayers also support all the good the government does. This is true but forcing someone to give you money for a good cause is still stealing. 

Taxation is a necessary evil just like governments, but the current system needs reform. Taxes are the only real way governments make money and keep running. An ideal tax system would force the people to pay just enough money to keep the government running and nothing more.