Why do we pay taxes?

[Peter90]

If people and businesses don't pay taxes - where will the state get the money to pay for pensions, benefits, compensation for medical care, education,... ? ? There are 2 options here:
Either the state provides nothing to citizens, at the expense of "state business" providing the work of the state itself, or it starts printing money. Both options you will obviously not like, as well as I do

Hi doc
you are right, I don't like neither one of those 2 options.

The point is, like it or not, states do print money.
So as long as they print money, they can get the money they need from that printing = as long as they print money, taxation is not necessary.
As soon as they stop printing money, taxation becomes necessary.

Imo

[DrBeer]

If people and businesses don't pay taxes - where will the state get the money to pay for pensions, benefits, compensation for medical care, education,... ? ? There are 2 options here:
Either the state provides nothing to citizens, at the expense of "state business" providing the work of the state itself, or it starts printing money. Both options you will obviously not like, as well as I do

Hi doc
you are right, I don't like neither one of those 2 options.

The point is, like it or not, states do print money.
So as long as they print money, they can get the money they need from that printing = as long as they print money, taxation is not necessary.
As soon as they stop printing money, taxation becomes necessary.

Imo

Hard to disagree with you Peter90 !
But there is another problem, which I often talk about - additional issue, inflation, taxes - it's all very much intertwined. Without additional emission the state system cannot work. Additional emission generates inflation, inflation motivates people to inject money into the economy and consume more. In the end, all this turns into taxes, which form a large part of the budget of the state, and at the same time restrain the additional emission !
The only question is the balance of this system. As soon as the emission becomes the main process of filling the budget - inflation becomes uncontrollable, and this leads to the shutdown of the economy, and.... a decrease in tax revenues, and the launch of new "printing presses".

[yohananaomi]

-snip-
The point is, like it or not, states do print money.
So as long as they print money, they can get the money they need from that printing = as long as they print money, taxation is not necessary.
As soon as they stop printing money, taxation becomes necessary.

Imo

As long as the country still needs paper money as a means of payment, it is natural that the state will prepare it as a means of transaction, Because without money there will be bartering of goods, not buying and selling anymore. There is no connection between directly printing money or stopping printing money by asking for taxes, because taxes are imposed by the government on the services we receive from income, buying and selling, etc.
The government cannot stop printing money as long as it is necessary for legal tender. CMIIW

[Mr. Allcrypto]

In a country, it is the duty of the citizens to pay taxes in order to maintain the development of the country. These taxes are imposed on the citizens by the government. In my country, they deduct it directly from the salaries of the citizens, in only government institutions only, and they are called the civil servants.

[DragonF]

Taxes are paid to enable the government to function properly. This is similar to what happens in every group. Members are compelled to pay dues to ensure that the group keeps running. So it is with the government. Government is there to ensure that the citizens have a good life and to provide infrastructures and services that can guarantee the good life, citizens must pay taxes.

The morality behind the payment of tax by citizens is justifiable but sadly, the government especially in Nigeria uses these taxes to enrich themselves thereby neglecting the provision of a good life for citizens. Because of this, most taxpayers are hoping that they can stop paying tax since it's not worth it.

[Peter90]

Taxes are paid to enable the government to function properly. ... Government is there to ensure that the citizens have a good life and to provide infrastructures and services that can guarantee the good life, citizens must pay taxes.

No, because the money that the state needs, he's producing it, at will.
Taxes are not necessary where the state produce money out of thin air.

If you are the state, you can't during the day ask me money and in the night go in your basement and print banknotes.
You want too much.
You have to choose.

That banknotes printing devalue my money.
So not only I have to give you part of my money, but also the part that I can keep, gets devalued by you?

This is similar to what happens in every group. Members are compelled to pay dues to ensure that the group keeps running.

No, it's not similar: in those groups the leaders can't produce money out of thin air.
I have never be part of a group in which someone could produce money at will.

[Peter90]

In a country, it is the duty of the citizens to pay taxes in order to maintain the development of the country.

This is true only where the monetary authorities don't create money at will.
You don't know it but are talking about the civil duties within a Gold Standard.

[Celsius]

Has anyone realized that Salvador can't print money?
They use the USD, they can't print money out of thin air so, how does that work in their case? 

Printing money increases the chances of inflation in the country.  When a country's government fails to manage money to run its country, passes bills and prints money at will, only inflation occurs.  Moreover, if the international currency dollar is used, then the government can change the country's economic index by making a special strategy or policy determination road map in using that dollar.  There is no possibility of inflation in the country as there is no authority to use the scarce dollar at will.  This step is considered to be the most important and epoch-making among the various revolutionary steps taken by the President of El Salvador.

[FOKA33]

Tax are used for encouraging saving for retirement.
There are different reasons we pay taxes as well as different types of tax's for example we have
 income taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, estate taxes etc... Income taxes  are used to provide funding for the government. Sales taxes  to generate revenue for local government and funding public services.Each tax has its own function Within it's overall tax system.

[DrBeer]

In a country, it is the duty of the citizens to pay taxes in order to maintain the development of the country.

This is true only where the monetary authorities don't create money at will.
You don't know it but are talking about the civil duties within a Gold Standard.

Printing money "at will" and for no reason is the worst case scenario. Mindlessly plugging holes in the budget with new money not only does not solve the problem, but makes it much worse. A well-thought-out balanced model, when the money supply corresponds to the balance of costs and revenues of the state, gives the best option for economic development and maintaining acceptable living standards of citizens. Balance and thoughtfulness are the key to an adequate economy and an adequate standard of living for citizens. Unfortunately, there is no other working practical model today. The theoretical concepts with which I am familiar are good only in theory, but in the real world can work only in isolated communities and under certain "ideal" conditions

[Peter90]

Printing money "at will" and for no reason is the worst case scenario.

Yes but consider that At will is different from for no reason
In our fiat system, currency is created at will, meaning the Central Bank of your country can create - at any time - how much money the want.

That doesn't mean for no reason, because there is always a reason, and many times the reasons are good ones, e.g. stimulate the economy.
The problem - the fundamental, essential flaw - of fiat system is the creating currency at will part.

Unfortunately, there is no other working practical model today.

True
No country is working on a gold standard base.

[DrBeer]

Printing money "at will" and for no reason is the worst case scenario.

Yes but consider that At will is different from for no reason
In our fiat system, currency is created at will, meaning the Central Bank of your country can create - at any time - how much money the want.

That doesn't mean for no reason, because there is always a reason, and many times the reasons are good ones, e.g. stimulate the economy.
The problem - the fundamental, essential flaw - of fiat system is the creating currency at will part.

Unfortunately, there is no other working practical model today.

True
No country is working on a gold standard base.

I agree, like the words are similar but the meaning is totally different
"At will", and it is correct to say probably "forced" - this is exactly the case when the state should start the machine for additional emission, when there are OBJECTIVE reasons for it.

But "without reason" is really a crime against the economy and the population.

The gold standard is probably not a bad solution, but.... probably not for the modern world. The gold standard, like any solution, has its advantages and disadvantages. And it seems that today's economy is not really ready for the gold standard, for any number of reasons.

[Peter90]

And it seems that today's economy is not really ready for the gold standard, for any number of reasons.

The gold standard could be here tomorrow morning.
The fact that we don't have it is a political decision.
Abandoning the gold standard - the convertibility of the $ - in 1970 by the Nixon administration was a political decision.
Abandoning the gold standard allowed the USA to create as much currency as they pleased

Goverments and politicians don't want the limitations to create&spend represented by the Gold standard
Central Banks don't want competition to the currency they control

This has nothing to do with the economy
The economy needs hard currency
Businesses want hard currency

Once you have a trustable and working gold-backed digital currency, ask businesses if they prefer to be paid with gold or with fiat

[DrBeer]

And it seems that today's economy is not really ready for the gold standard, for any number of reasons.

The gold standard could be here tomorrow morning.
The fact that we don't have it is a political decision.
Abandoning the gold standard - the convertibility of the $ - in 1970 by the Nixon administration was a political decision.
Abandoning the gold standard allowed the USA to create as much currency as they pleased

Goverments and politicians don't want the limitations to create&spend represented by the Gold standard
Central Banks don't want competition to the currency they control

This has nothing to do with the economy
The economy needs hard currency
Businesses want hard currency

Once you have a trustable and working gold-backed digital currency, ask businesses if they prefer to be paid with gold or with fiat

I have already written, if we are talking about a real gold standard - this scheme will not work, for a banal reason - there are no mechanisms to verify the real gold reserves of the holding countries. And the times of "we are gentlemen - we take our word for it" have unfortunately passed....

The second reason is a strong enough stratification of the world. Someone simply does not want, someone denies gold and "world agreements", someone is not profitable !

Well and most importantly - if we choose the concept not "to create a convenient for all", and "why the U.S. is living so well, we need to fix it" - we will not achieve the result

The USA at a certain point was nimbler, smarter, because no one else could "promote" their position, and the majority agreed with this system.
Another question - how much will the gold standard really make the world a better place, give everyone equal rights, remove "monopolies" - are we talking about this or only about transferring the "palm of superiority" to someone who is not called the USA ?
There are no perfect systems, there are systems with better balance and acceptance of compromise by the majority of participants. The dollar - while such a system, the Gold Standard - must prove its right to exist and acceptance in the COUNTRY, and only then it can replace the dollar.

And about the last sentence: wasn't there some analogy when paper money had the inscription "backed by gold", and when the situation demanded proof - it turned out that it was backed by gold only on paper. Who on the state and world level will guarantee the reality of gold backing of some "gold-bitcoin" for example?
Yes I know there are private solutions you mentioned, but it is a private company controlled by consumers, government, etc. What about real gold backing of pseudo-international currency ? And its control ? In the world today, fundamental treaties and obligations are not being fulfilled, and for the opportunity to manage the world financial system, there will be even more violations....

[Peter90]

there are no mechanisms to verify the real gold reserves of the holding countries.

Of course there are
They are called audits

Something the US government is refusing to do since 1953
They even refuse of auditing the gold reserves that other countries keep in the USA