“Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes
“There is no such thing as a good tax.” – Winston Churchill

There is probably no other political debate so controversial, speculative and historically long-winded as that of taxes. This is mainly due to the fact that taxes are viewed from so many different perspectives regarding their purpose and their effects on the economy and the individual. Considering their extreme complexity, this article will simply try to familiarize the reader with on both sides of the argument.

Why do governments tax?