Essay 16: Is Paying Tax the Only Duty of Citizens?
Some people think that paying tax is their only duty, while others believe that we have more responsibilities towards our society. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
Taxes are imposed to generate funds for providing welfare services to the public like health, education, and building infrastructure. According to some people, the sole responsibility towards society is to pay tax, while others think more needs to be done by the people for the betterment of society. I also share the latter view because, in my opinion, volunteering services for the promotion of education and cleanliness are one of the core responsibilities of each citizen.
Those who believe paying tax is their mere responsibility argue that they pay a huge chunk of their earnings to the government, and are left with very little money and time to contribute to the welfare of fellow residents. That is to say, the majority of the population in any country is middle class, and after paying taxes, are left with the minimal amount that it becomes so hard to make both ends meet, and they have to do extra hours. As such, they are usually left with no time to participate in looking after the society and its members. Hence, they tend to spend their energies and savings on their family and themselves, instead of the well-being of others.
However, a country demands more from its citizens than tax. It is a cumulative responsibility of both jurisdictions and individuals to work in parallel for a country to be successful. One such way is to help government institutions enhance the literacy rate of the nation. This can be done by offering free lectures to street children and working adults who may not have enrolled in school due to the shortage of educational amenities. This will lead to more responsible, educated, and aware citizens.
Furthermore, it is the responsibility of inhabitants to not only keep their surroundings clean but also educate others to do so. Often due to lack of adequate funds and staff, it can be difficult for municipal corporations to carry out necessary arrangements, which can lead to the spreading of diseases. Hence, besides paying taxes, citizens’ cooperation is required by government bodies to smoothly run the cleaning operations.
To conclude, although a segment of society considers paying tax to be their sole responsibility towards society, I share the belief of others who think there are more actions to be done by the citizens for the progress of the society, like volunteering themselves to educate others and clean environment.
