Ah now i understand, yes that’s a bit strange, I would not want to suggest that.

Username doesn’t check out…

If anything it’s like paying back a personal loan. Only in this case you’ve already reaped the benefits of the services and infrastructure provided to you by the government over the course of the last financial year, your income tax at the end of the year is just the loan payment to cover your usage.

The only unusual part is that the repayment amounts are tied to your level of income. This is to spread the cost across everyone in the most “fair” way possible. A marginal increase of $1000 in repayment is nothing to a millionaire but a significant amount to someone living below the poverty line or a student or something.

Tax is not theft, it’s payment for something you’ve indirectly purchased.

I’ve asked this before, but it’s not to be rude or offensive it’s just out of curiosity. I’m not American so maybe i don’t understand but Ethnicity can just be a conversation starter or something to bond over, it doesn’t need to be a hostile accusation or criticism.

This is not really how tax works. I wish employers & recruiters would quote income post tax, it would shift the mindset of ‘The government is taking half my income’ to ‘I’m automatically paying the government in one lump sum for the many services and infrastructures they provide to me and my country.’