Week 46: Taxes in the US

"We must care for each other more, and tax each other less."

Merriam Webster dictionary defines taxes as "a charge usually of money imposed by authority on persons or property for public purposes." Others have defined taxes as "theft" and the US was founded on the principle of "no taxation without representation." And, with tax time just passing, many of you may have found filing your taxes overly cumbersome and complicated. But how did we get to this? In this week's Tuesday Fix, we will explore taxes in America and it nuisances!

1. Demystifying American Taxes: "It's tax season here in America, so it's time to procrastinate and complain about how complicated they are. Luckily, if you have a basic understanding of math, you are completely capable of understanding how they work." Knowing Better takes you through the basics of American Taxes.

Watch Demystifying American Taxes? by Knowing Better

2. Why do taxpayers pay billions for football stadiums?: "In the past 20 years, over $7 billion in public money has gone towards financing the construction and renovation of NFL football stadiums. Owners argue that public investment in private football franchises will bring a boom of economic activity to local economies. But this argument doesn’t hold up. In reality, stadiums and their upkeep wind up costing cities millions of dollars."

Watch Why do taxpayers pay billions for football stadiums? by Vox

3. What If There Were No Taxes?: "Everybody hates paying taxes, but what if no one had to pay them? As strange as this may seem to modern Americans, until the 16th amendment, the USA didn’t have a permanent federal income tax. So how would America be different if federal income taxes had never been made into law? Watch the episode to find out. "

Watch What If There Were No Taxes? by PBS Origins

Call to Action! Taxes are an integral part of American life, so take it upon yourself to learn more about local public spending, what parts of the tax code you can benefit from, and how best you can learn about the tax changes that may happen in our near future!

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