government revenue and spending.In

government revenue and spending.
In the UK, the government spends about £500 billion a year. Where does such a huge amount of money come from? Perhaps more importantly, what does the government spent it on? The money governments have to spend is called revenue. Revenue comes from several sources, including charging for services and borrowing. However, a government’s main source of revenue is taxation. There are different kinds of taxes. For example, anyone with a regular income has to pay income tax on his earnings. This is a percentage of his income which goes to the government. Many countries operate a system called progressive income tax. Under this system, people with a higher income pay a higher percentage to the government. Another kind of tax is value added tax. This is paid when we buy goods or services which are not essential or are regarded as luxuries. Taxation, however, is not only a way for a government to earn revenue. Through taxation, governments also achieve a number of other things. Income tax, for example, should help to make the income gap between the rich and the poor smaller. Tax on harmful products like tobacco and alcohol should discourage people from consuming them. Finally, taxation is a way for the government to control overall supply and demand in the market. For instance, a very high tax on a product will mean few people can buy it and therefore its market will be very small.