Citizens’ Choice in Tax Allocation

Author: Inactive user |

Updated on: 26/05/2021 |

Number of views: 472

The easiest way to directly affect change is by voting with our wallet; when we buy something at a store or when we decide not to. It is the most powerful tool each of us has in changing the world in the way we want it to. The only financial aspect in which this choice is still missing is in the allocation of taxes.

Taxpayers should be able to decide to which aspect of government spending a part of their yearly taxes go towards; if 10% of their taxes go to science, the education system, the healthcare system, space exploration, infrastructure development and maintenance, foreign aid projects, social benefits, or other government spending.

At the end of the year the results of how the taxes were used should be transparently visible for everyone to see; everyone should understand their contribution in society.

It would encourage interaction between the different government branches and voters, as the government now actively has to inform and educate voters on why certain investments are important and educate them on current issue and developments - As everyone is now actively contributing, many will be encouraged to improve their government in whichever way they can.

Just as it is important to encourage this for government around the world, the EU can lead the way by implementing such a voting system for its citizens.

Categories: Education, youth and sport Regulatory framework

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Inactive user | 07/06/2021

Machine translation

This comment is automatically translated from German.

An interesting idea, but it will hardly work in practice. A similar feature exists in some German municipalities and is referred to as the citizens’ budget. In this context, citizens can participate in the preparation of the municipal budget within a regulated framework. However, when we look at participation in practice, it does not involve the breadth of the population, but only a small number of citizens. It would probably not be much different at EU level.

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emrah chris | 11/03/2024

European Union (EU) that allows citizens to directly choose how Value Added Tax (VAT) revenues are allocated. VAT is a consumption tax levied on goods and services in the EU, and its allocation is primarily determined by the national governments of each member state. However, it's worth noting that the EU operates under the principles of representative democracy, where citizens elect representatives who make decisions on their behalf. Therefore, EU citizens indirectly influence the allocation of VAT revenues through the democratic process by electing officials who shape tax policies and spending priorities. I recommend using up-to-date "VAT Calculator" and checking the latest updates and reforms related to VAT and citizen involvement in tax allocation from reliable sources or consulting with relevant EU institutions for the most up-to-date information.

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Citizens’ Choice in Tax Allocation

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