TAXES A tax (from the Latin taxo; "rate") is a financial charge or other levy imposed upon a taxpayer (an

n individual or legal entity) by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many administrative divisions. Taxes consist of direct or indirect taxes and may be paid in money or as its labour equivalent. The legal definition and the economic definition of taxes differ in that economists do not consider many transfers to governments to be taxes. For example, some transfers to the public sector are comparable to prices. Examples include tuition at public universities and fees for utilities provided by local governments. Governments also obtain resources by creating money (e.g., printing bills and minting coins), through voluntary gifts (e.g., contributions to public universities and museums), by imposing penalties (e.g., traffic fines), by borrowing, and by confiscating wealth. From the view of economists, a tax is a non-penal, yet compulsory transfer of resources from the private to the Public sector levied on a basis of predetermined criteria and without reference to specific benefit received. In modern taxation systems, taxes are levied in money; but, in-kind and corve taxation are characteristic of traditional or pre-capitalist states and their functional equivalents. The method of taxation and the government expenditure of taxes raised is often highly debated in politics and economics. Tax collection is performed by a government agency such as the Canada Revenue Agency, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the United States, or Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in the United Kingdom. When taxes are not fully paid, civil penalties (such as fines or forfeiture) or criminal penalties (such as incarceration)[2] may be imposed on the non-paying entity or individual. A fee charged ("levied") by a government on a product, income, or activity. If tax is levied directly on personal or corporate income, then it is a direct tax. If tax is levied on the price of a good or service, then it is called an indirect tax. The purpose of taxation is to finance government expenditure. One of the most important uses of taxes is to finance public goods and services, such as street lighting and street cleaning. Since public goods and services do not allow a nonpayer to be excluded, or allow exclusion by a consumer, there cannot be a market in the good or service, and so they need to be provided by the government or a quasi-government agency, which tend to finance themselves largely through taxes.

An involuntary fee levied on corporations or individuals that is enforced by a level of government in order to finance government activities. In the investing world, this is one of the most important types of taxes and, therefore, one of the most highly debated types of tax is capital gains tax. Capital gains tax represents the tax paid on the increase in value made on an investment.

Direct taxes

The term direct tax generally means a tax paid directly to the government by the persons on whom it is imposed. However, there are other definitions as well, under which taxes paid directly from individuals to the government are not legally classified as direct taxes, as described below. In a general sense, a direct tax is one imposed upon an individual person (juristic or natural) or property (i.e. real and personal property, rental profits, livestock, crops, wages, etc.) as distinct from a tax imposed upon a transaction. In this sense, indirect taxes such as a sales tax or a value added tax (VAT) are imposed only if and when a taxable transaction occurs. People have the freedom to engage in or refrain from such transactions; whereas a direct tax (in the general sense) is imposed upon a person, typically in an unconditional manner, such as a poll-tax or head-tax, which is imposed on the basis of the person's very life or existence, or a property tax which is imposed upon the owner by virtue of ownership, rather than commercial use. Some commentators have argued that "a direct tax is one that cannot be shifted by the taxpayer to someone else, whereas an indirect tax can be."[1] A government levy on the income, property, or wealth of people or companies. A direct tax is borne entirely by the entity that pays it, and cannot be passed on to another entity. Examples include corporation tax, income tax, and social security contributions. Unlike consumption taxes (see indirect tax), direct taxes are based on the ability to pay principle but they sometimes work as a disincentive to work harder and earn more because that would mean paying more tax. See also progressive tax.
A tax that is paid directly by an individual or organization to the imposing entity. A taxpayer pays a direct tax to a government for different purposes, including real property tax, personal property tax, income tax or taxes on assets. Direct taxes are different from indirect taxes, where the tax is levied on one entity, such as a seller, and paid by another, such a sales tax paid by the buyer in a retail setting. A direct tax cannot be shifted to another individual or entity. The individual or organization upon which the tax is levied is responsible for the fulfillment of the tax payment. Indirect taxes, on the other hand, can be shifted from one taxpayer to another.
The tax rate on taxable profits is 16%, with several exceptions: certain stateowned enterprises are tax-exempt, and the tax rate applicable to the revenue of micro-businesses is 2-3%.

Taxation of an individual's income in Italy is progressive. In other words, the higher the income, the higher the rate of tax payable. In 2013 the tax rate for an individual is between 23%-43%, In addition to direct taxation (IRPEF), there is also a regional tax of 1.2%-2.03% and a municipal tax of 0.1%-0.8%. There are reduced rates of tax and tax exemptions available to certain income earners. The standard rate of Italy corporate tax (IRES) in 2013 is 27.5%%. In addition, local tax (IRAP) is imposed at a rate of generally 3.9%, bringing the effective tax rate to 31.4%.

Profit tax

Tax profit or taxable profit is used to distinguish between accounting profit or earnings (the number that is generally referred to in financial results for public companies and quoted in the press). Taxable profit is the number that is used to calculate tax on income. For a number of reasons, taxable profit may differ from reported earnings, and may be higher or lower. Company financial reports often distinguish between profit before tax and after-tax profit.

Income tax
An income tax is a government levy (tax) imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) that varies with the income or profits (taxable income) of the taxpayer. Details vary widely by jurisdiction. Many jurisdictions refer to income tax on business entities as companies tax or corporation tax. Partnerships generally are not taxed; rather, the partners are taxed on their share of partnership items. Tax may be imposed by both a country and subdivisions thereof. Most jurisdictions exempt locally organized charitable organizations from tax. Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax rate times taxable income. The tax rate may increase as taxable income increases (referred to as graduated rates). Tax rates may vary by type or characteristics of the taxpayer. Capital gains may be taxed at different rates than other income. Credits of various sorts may be allowed that reduce tax. Some jurisdictions impose the higher of an income tax or a tax on an alternative base or measure of income. A tax that governments impose on financial income generated by all entities within their jurisdiction. By law, businesses and individuals must file an income tax return every year to determine whether they owe any taxes or are eligible for a tax refund. Income tax is a key source of funds that the government uses to fund its activities and serve the public.
Most countries employ a progressive income tax system in which higher income earners pay a higher tax rate compared to their lower earning counterparts.

A is an income tax on dividend payments to the stockholders (shareholders) of a company.

dividend tax

Dividends can be taxed either as ordinary income at ordinary income tax rates or at the preferred long-term capital gains tax rate. Dividends are classified either as ordinary dividends or as qualified dividends. All dividends are ordinary dividends. Some dividends are qualified dividends and qualify for the preferred tax rate of 0% or 15%.

Local tax
A tax assessed and levied by a local authority such as a county or municipality. A local tax is usually collected in the form of property taxes, and is used to fund a wide range of civic services from garbage collection to sewer maintenance. The amount of local taxes may vary widely from one jurisdiction to the next. Unlike federal or state taxes, the benefits arising from local taxes are generally apparent at the community level. Municipalities have to face a

constant balancing act with regards to levying local taxes, since rising taxes may lead to "taxpayer revolt," while low taxation levels may lead to a cutback of essential services.

A tax levied and collected by a state/province and or municipality. Local taxes are collected in order to fund local government services, but they often are also used to pay coupons and principals on municipal bonds. Local taxes sometimes come in the form of income or sales taxes, but the largest example of a local tax is property tax.