Why is it taxing
Lots of Indians would be happy with the 2010 Budget (key features of India's budget 2010) that was presented by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee before the Lok Sabha—the new income tax rates will reduce tax burden of lots of people, me included. But I can't drink and rejoice in the reduced tax burden—not because booze has become expensive from now on.
Like many of you, if left to me, I wouldn't pay any taxes. Not because I am too greedy to give some of my earnings for the country and my folks. At subconscious level, I want to live in a society where everyone's requirements are fulfilled and each person has a dignified life. But let's face it—we live in country with stark disparities. There can be a rich person drinking expensive Scotish wine and romancing the moonlit winter night with its stars, oblivious of a poor migrant labourer in the same city, trying to fall asleep on the pavement of the same lane, with a poor quality blanket between him and the chilly winter night. It's the same country, same city and the same night, but, for one, it's a romance and, for the other, it's an ordeal.
"If I am really bothered about the huge rich-poor divide, why am I not willing to paying taxes?"
Can you say guarantee that the tax money that I worked hard for (and kissed rowdy bosses' asses) will be used for ensuring better education, healthcare, drinking water and roads in the villages from where the migrant labourer has come? Even former ministers (even of the ruling party) say that the delivery mechanism and the bureaucratic system of the country is rotten. It's still the same as former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had pointed out—out of every Re1, 85 paise gets lost (pilfered) in the transmission channel by the time it reaches the destination at the grass-roots level. Why does the government expect me to pay taxes if they can't ensure that my hard earned money is spent responsibly?
I don't want some unworthy person to make a fortune from my hard earned money that I paid in tax. Unfortunately, there is a whole army of such people who live off taxpayers' money, the money that was taken with a tacit promise of being used for the development of the country and fellow countrymen.
The government urgently needs someone to teach them how to make the best use of available resources for the country and its people. I think the government can learn it from any good homemaker who has mastered the art of meeting the basic requirements of her family while keeping her family finances on track. She can teach the government how to prioritize your expenses for optimum growth even on limited resources.
As far as taxes are concerned, the government needs to promise us that the tax money will not be floundered. The common man who is forced to pay taxes (as he can't hide his salary) should have the faith and satisfaction that his money will not be stashed in closets of some politicial broker or contractor, but be spent on education, healtcare and other basic requirements of his fellow countrymen. It's a herculean task for the government to ensure 100% efficiency and transparency in utilizing the money handed over to it by taxpayers.
Once people know that the money isn't being swindled and that it's being used to provide quality education to children, proper healthcare to the poor and is used for leading the country toward a better future, a large number of them would be more than willing to pay their taxes. I don't think they would go through the pain of collecting (sometimes even forging) receipts for reducing their tax liability. Sadly, as of now, I have to pay the taxes without any guarantee that it will be put to proper use and won't be squandered.
Like many of you, if left to me, I wouldn't pay any taxes. Not because I am too greedy to give some of my earnings for the country and my folks. At subconscious level, I want to live in a society where everyone's requirements are fulfilled and each person has a dignified life. But let's face it—we live in country with stark disparities. There can be a rich person drinking expensive Scotish wine and romancing the moonlit winter night with its stars, oblivious of a poor migrant labourer in the same city, trying to fall asleep on the pavement of the same lane, with a poor quality blanket between him and the chilly winter night. It's the same country, same city and the same night, but, for one, it's a romance and, for the other, it's an ordeal.
"If I am really bothered about the huge rich-poor divide, why am I not willing to paying taxes?"
Can you say guarantee that the tax money that I worked hard for (and kissed rowdy bosses' asses) will be used for ensuring better education, healthcare, drinking water and roads in the villages from where the migrant labourer has come? Even former ministers (even of the ruling party) say that the delivery mechanism and the bureaucratic system of the country is rotten. It's still the same as former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had pointed out—out of every Re1, 85 paise gets lost (pilfered) in the transmission channel by the time it reaches the destination at the grass-roots level. Why does the government expect me to pay taxes if they can't ensure that my hard earned money is spent responsibly?
I don't want some unworthy person to make a fortune from my hard earned money that I paid in tax. Unfortunately, there is a whole army of such people who live off taxpayers' money, the money that was taken with a tacit promise of being used for the development of the country and fellow countrymen.
The government urgently needs someone to teach them how to make the best use of available resources for the country and its people. I think the government can learn it from any good homemaker who has mastered the art of meeting the basic requirements of her family while keeping her family finances on track. She can teach the government how to prioritize your expenses for optimum growth even on limited resources.
As far as taxes are concerned, the government needs to promise us that the tax money will not be floundered. The common man who is forced to pay taxes (as he can't hide his salary) should have the faith and satisfaction that his money will not be stashed in closets of some politicial broker or contractor, but be spent on education, healtcare and other basic requirements of his fellow countrymen. It's a herculean task for the government to ensure 100% efficiency and transparency in utilizing the money handed over to it by taxpayers.
Once people know that the money isn't being swindled and that it's being used to provide quality education to children, proper healthcare to the poor and is used for leading the country toward a better future, a large number of them would be more than willing to pay their taxes. I don't think they would go through the pain of collecting (sometimes even forging) receipts for reducing their tax liability. Sadly, as of now, I have to pay the taxes without any guarantee that it will be put to proper use and won't be squandered.
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