Some people think we should keep all the money we earn and not pay tax to the state. To what extend do you agree or disagree?

In every country, anyone who earns money must pay their share of tax. Some citizens argue that individuals should stop paying taxes to the government. Personally, I cannot agree with this statement.

The first and perhaps most direct argument in favor of taxes is that they are dues we pay to enjoy the numerous vital benefits that governments provides to our society. In most modern society, the tax revenue has been used to improve the urban and rural infrastructure, such as roads, healthcare, education, environmental protection, national defense, etc. Without enough tax paid by the citizens, the central and the local governments would have no alternative but to suspend or even cancel many of their beneficial programs. Moreover, the government needs budgets to prevent unstable factors including terrorism and rising crime rates, which threaten their citizens. It makes sense that citizens pay for their own safety and as a nation, pay for our national security. On top of that, to keep the environment and the economy more sustainable, governments need financial resources to reduce pollution and economic recessions.

One the other hand, taxes are spend on unnecessary things that many consider to be a complete waste of taxpayer's hard earned money, for example, unnecessary researches, overspending on supplies for government, fraud and corruption, among others. It is also true that some authorities may use these facts as excuses to collect excessive taxes without really improving people's lives. Consequently, leading to citizen's discontent. But if citizens did not discharge the duty of paying taxes, we would end up with even more social problems besides poverty.

In conclusion, my view is that taxes are in fact good. We should perform our duty as taxpayers and the top earners should pay proportionately more taxes. Meanwhile, the government should set a reasonable tax rate and ensure that the tax money is used for the welfare of the nation and its inhabitants.