Final answer:
The government's right to collect taxes is granted by the Constitution, with the 16th Amendment providing Congress the authority to tax incomes. Tax revenue funds essential services and infrastructure, and global tax policies help prevent evasion. All members of society bear the responsibility to contribute, ensuring governmental functionality.
Step-by-step explanation:
The government's right to collect taxes from the people primarily emanates from the law of the land. In the United States, this legal authority is granted by the Constitution, particularly through the 16th Amendment, which explicitly gives Congress the power to lay and collect taxes on incomes from any source, without apportionment among the various states. Taxation enables the government to garner the necessary revenue to fund public goods and services, such as infrastructure, education, defense, and welfare programs. Municipal governments in the U.S. also collect property and sales taxes to raise revenue for local services.
Historically, the concept of taxation without representation created significant tension, as exemplified by the opposition of North American colonists to British imposed taxes, leading to the American Revolutionary War. Today, while no one enjoys paying taxes, it is understood that without these contributions, a government cannot operate effectively or provide essential services that benefit society as a whole. Tax evasion or failure to pay taxes is punishable by law, which serves as a deterrent against non-compliance.
Additionally, global tax policy coordination, such as the agreement by the G-7 nations on a global minimum corporate tax rate, aims to prevent tax evasion and ensure that corporations pay a fair share of taxes. Thus, taxation is a shared responsibility of all members of society, instrumental for the functioning of a nation.