Government Tax

When people speak of government taxes they are usually referring to income tax, which is a tax levied upon the financial income of persons, corporations and other legal entities. There are several types of income tax systems, such as a flat tax, graduated income tax and progressive tax.

The concept of governments taxing income is a modern convention and presupposes several factors such as reasonably accurate accountancy, a money economy, a common understanding of receipts, profits and expenses, as well as an orderly society with reliable records. For most of human history these preconditions did not exist, and taxes were based on other factors.

Individual income tax typically taxes the total income of an individual, while corporate taxes usually tax the net income of a company or corporation, which is calculated as the difference between gross sales, expenses and write offs.

Income tax is a government tax on earnings of an individual or couple, if income tax is filed jointly. Since there are different types of earnings, filing income taxes is a simple process for wage earners and others who do not own their own



business, and more complicated for those that are wealthier or receive various types of income, such as those who own and operate their own business.

For those with stock dividends, inheritance and other less common types of income, the process of filing income taxes can be somewhat to extremely complicated. Such individuals many times enlist the aid of a professional accountant or tax professional.

The rates of taxation for different types of income and some types of income are not taxed at all. For example, business income can only be taxed if it is significant or based on the manner in which it was paid, whereas capital gains can be taxed when they are sold or appreciate in value.


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