Following a formula established by the nation's tax code, Americans calculate their annual tax bills. If too much money has been automatically deducted from their paychecks throughout the year, they get refunds. Otherwise, they pay any amount due. Depending on which state they live in, individuals and businesses may be required to pay additional taxes on their incomes, properties, or the goods they buy. This is called a sales tax. Most Americans pay both federal and state income taxes.
Taxation's main goal is to raise revenue for shared public programs and services. Many things supported by tax funds such as military equipment and salaries, highway and park maintenance, scientific research, and court activities and other government programs would be impractical for individuals to pay for themselves.
Different levels of government collect taxes for different programs. Federal tax money pays for defense, interstate highways, Social Security, and other nationwide programs. Taxes collected by states fund things such as highways, public colleges, welfare programs, and other statewide services. Local city or town taxes pay for things such as police, libraries, public schools, and trash collection.
This story is from the May/June 2023 edition of Cobblestone American History Magazine for Kids.
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This story is from the May/June 2023 edition of Cobblestone American History Magazine for Kids.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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Putting the Pieces Together
Americans needed to begin to put the past behind them, come together, and plan for the future in the spring of 1865. But Abraham Lincoln, the man best equipped to lead them and who had hoped to restore the country as smoothly and peacefully as possible, had been assassinated.
LAST SHOTS
The last Confederate forces in the Civil War didn’t surrender in the spring of 1865 or on a battlefield.
AND IN OTHER 1865 NEWS
A group of African Americans stop at the White House’s annual public reception on January 1, where they shake hands with President Abraham Lincoln.
A Plot to Kill President the
For several months, actor John Wilkes Booth’s band of conspirators had plotted to capture President Abraham Lincoln and hold him hostage in exchange for Confederate prisoners.
Let the Thing Be Pressed
In June 1864, Union Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant began a nearly 10-month campaign in Virginia.
HEALING THE NATION
President Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office for the second time on March 4, 1865.
A Helping Hand
The spring season is hard in any agricultural society. Plants and animals are too small to eat.
WAR SHERMAN-STYLE
As far as Union Major General William T. Sherman was concerned, the Civil War had gone on long enough.
PEACE TALKS
The fall of Fort Fisher made clear that the Confederacy’s days were numbered. Southerners were tired and hungry.
FORT FISHER'S FALL
Outnumbered Confederate soldiers inside Fort Fisher were unable to withstand the approach of Union troops by land and the constant Union naval bombardment from the sea.
