Taxes are mandatory contributions levied on individuals or corporations by a government entity—whether local, regional, or national… Investopedia.
The main purpose of taxes is to fund government activities ranging from war to building roads etc. However, historically it is obvious that those in government are becoming greedier from age to age. They have created all forms of taxes from property tax, tariffs/duties and corporate taxes which were probably as old as modern human, to newer taxes, which I categorize as double taxation, such as personal income tax and sales/consumption tax. I think it is fair for companies such as Seplat who drills oil, a natural resource that belongs to all indigene of a particular location to pay tax as a form of contribution to well being of the community. However, I think it undemocratic, unfair and can kill productivity if I have to pay tax on any income, I make from trading my personal talent, energy or skill for my upkeep.
My cousin who works as a doctor in the UK refused to pick up extra duties because he would be paying more taxes from the increased income if he did. I suspect many more like him existed in that system. Instead of taxing personal income through instruments such as payroll tax or consumption tax, government should borrow more via instruments such as treasury bills and bonds if they have genuine need for more revenue. I believe debt would make government to be more efficient.
One of the major problems of governance all over the world is waste and corruption instead of addressing this, they shift the burden on the citizens through all kinds of taxes. Any nation without natural resources with which to fund her operations should not exist as a nation. Since land belongs to the first person or community to get to a location or to the strongest, I think it is fair if government extract some money from anyone who chose to own a land, to fund her activities.
If I ever decide to become president of Nigeria in future one of my campaign promises would be to abolish all forms of personal income taxes, they are unfair and undemocratic. If I form a corporation that renders a service and is not into any form of production such as a bank and after paying my staff a living wage, I make profit the government is free to tax that income to fund her activities. I am not a property of any state, but co-owner. However, if I chose to go to another country and work, my income may be taxed since I left my natural habitat to benefit from resources available in another country.
