South Africa’s taxpayers fund the state, but millions of voters pay no income tax while helping decide how taxpayers’ money is spent. Is that a healthy foundation for democracy?
Perhaps if a future SA constitutional dispensation allows for greater self-determination by local communities and smaller groups with shared interests, local taxes could be paid locally for the develoment needs of those specific communities. A Federal Tax on all can be levied, but with the various self-determining communities still having a say in the extraction and expenditure of those taxes in accordance with their proportional contributions to the federal tax pool.
In effect, the forgoing is already happening in South Africa, but informally. Communities established organisations to properly do what the governmental sector fails to do or fails to maintain properly. Those communities also pay a "federal tax", which they have little say over because of all that was explained by Nicholas in the article...
Yes! Most of those who don't pay tax, is as a result of government policies. So they should have a say in voting for better policies. Also, we all pay tax in the form of vat.
Perhaps if a future SA constitutional dispensation allows for greater self-determination by local communities and smaller groups with shared interests, local taxes could be paid locally for the develoment needs of those specific communities. A Federal Tax on all can be levied, but with the various self-determining communities still having a say in the extraction and expenditure of those taxes in accordance with their proportional contributions to the federal tax pool.
In effect, the forgoing is already happening in South Africa, but informally. Communities established organisations to properly do what the governmental sector fails to do or fails to maintain properly. Those communities also pay a "federal tax", which they have little say over because of all that was explained by Nicholas in the article...
Excellent article, Nicholas. Well argued and well written.
Yes! Most of those who don't pay tax, is as a result of government policies. So they should have a say in voting for better policies. Also, we all pay tax in the form of vat.