When it comes to taxes it’s that one thing that you can never really escape. No matter what you do and where you are, directly or indirectly, you’re going to pay tax. Trying to avoid is only going to make matters worse for you. When you think about it, one issue that many celebrities and politicians usually have is tax evasion. I‘ve noticed that it’s one crime that your power, money, and influence can’t save you from it.
Hell, tax is so potent that in a superhero cartoon, Joker, the arch-rival of Batman said that the IRS is the only organization that scares him. It just goes to show that this is one organization that one shouldn’t mess with.
Paying taxes is really important and it’s good because it’s responsible for the infrastructure we see today. And in a sane clime, paying your taxes should give you pride. That’s why you should be able to rely on certain services because you’re basically paying for their services. That’s why from time to time, you hear phrases like, “I pay my taxes, you work for me!”
From healthcare to roads, security to power… all these things need our taxes to function. And the needs of the states vary, that’s why the tax laws differ from place to place. And if you live in an area where the government actually puts the taxes they get to good use, then you would really get to enjoy it. Knowing that the good roads you enjoy, the healthcare that keeps your family healthy, and the power that flows through your home, they’re all possible because of your little contribution to the national treasury.
But then, when you can’t seem to see these improvements, taxes become so hard to pay. Imagine paying your taxes diligently, but the police whose salaries are funded by the same taxes, end up harassing and brutalizing you every chance they get. What about going to the public hospital where there’s no doctor available to treat you, but your taxes pay these doctors their salaries? Bad roads everywhere, no security at all, no power… nothing is working.
Yet, they keep insisting that taxes must be paid.
As I said earlier, taxes are something that can’t be avoided. No matter what, we would still pay for it. Basically, everything we use is taxed. Even the tiny sweets are also taxed, keeping your money in the bank gets taxed, and withdrawing the same money gets taxed. The only things that don’t get taxed are loans and investments, which is how the rich manage to escape heavy taxing.
In Nigeria, we can easily say that many of us don’t see the effects of the taxes we pay. Although in several states, there have been marked improvements. There are better government schools and hospitals here in Lagos, the state also never owes its employees salaries, there is always one major project or the other happening in Lagos, all through the year. All this happens because of the taxes that are paid by the people. But then, a lot more can still be done. There is so much room for growth.
Not just in Lagos, but in other parts of the country as well. All this money has to be put to good use because it’s for the betterment of the entire state, and not simply for one person. We really have to do better!
