Useful words and expressions

Lesson 4 Part 1 Taxation

1. Answer the questions:

A) What kinds of taxes do you know?

B) Do you know the names of the government departments or organizations connected with taxes and taxation in your country?

Economics Word bank

1. to impose a tax = to tax – облагать налогом 2. taxation – налогообложение 3. a taxpayer – налогоплательщик 4. taxable – облагаемый налогом 5. the tax rate – налоговая ставка, ставка налогового обложения

6. a legal entity – юридическое лицо 7. property – собственность, имущество 8. a value added tax (VAT) – налог на добавленную стоимость (НДС) 9. an income tax – подоходный налог 10. to fund – финансировать

2. Choose the correct word or expression from the box above:

1) If you work and get money for your work, you have to pay … .

2) A person who pays taxes is called … .

3) Some activities, such as business or buying and selling goods, are … .

4) The system of … is different in different countries.

5) When you use some services or buy different things you pay … .

6) Using taxes the government can … some social services and national projects.

7) If you have some kinds of …, you have to pay a tax too.

8) In economics one person is called an individual, but an organization is called … .

3. a) Try to translate the following international words. Pay attention to some other meanings of “false friends”:

B) Read the words in the box above, paying attention to the word stress.

“Friends”	“False friends”
functional	criminal
equivalent	collection
administrative	agency
percentage	population
pension	public
transportation	service
infrastructure	operation
tariffs	protection

c) Find the synonyms (+) and the opposites (–) in the box above:

private (-)

gathering (+)

people (+)

lawful (-)

work (+)

governmental (+)

organization (+)

the same (+)

part (+)

Reading

4. Read the text and choose the correct variant:

1) A tax is a sum of money paid by:

a) only working people b) only organizations c) both

2) The organization responsible for tax collection in Russia is called:

a) the Internal Revenue Service b) the Federal Taxation Service c) Duma

3) If you do not pay taxes you can get into prison:

a) always b) sometimes c) never

4) The tax rate:

a) can be changed by the taxpayer b) is fixed c) can be changed by the government

5) Historically, using taxes:

a) rich people supported poor people b) poor people supported rich people

c) the government supported rich and poor people

6) What are the taxes NOT used for:

a) war b) giving out to poor people in the streets c) work of the government

5. Find the names of the taxes for the following definitions in the text:

1) a tax on some things you have, e.g. buildings, land, etc

2) a tax you pay when you get some things from the person who dies

3) a sum of money which depends on how much of the product you buy (alcohol, tobacco, etc)

4) a tax on your wages for funding pensions or health care systems

5) a percentage included in the price of some services or goods you buy

6) a charge for the movement of goods from one country to another (import/export)

7) a tax on all money you get officially

6. Answer the questions:

1. What taxes do you pay while you are a student?

2. What taxes do your parents pay?

3. Is it necessary to pay taxes, in your opinion? Why?

Taxation

To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a state or the functional equivalent of a state. Taxes are also imposed by many administrative divisions. When taxes are not fully paid, civil penalties (such as fines) or criminal penalties may be imposed on the non-paying entity or individual.

Tax collection is performed by a government agency such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the United States, or the Federal Taxation Service in Russia.

Taxes consist of direct tax or indirect tax, and may be paid in money or as its labour equivalent (often but not always unpaid labour). Taxes are most often levied as a percentage, called the tax rate.

To create a system of taxation, a nation must decide who will pay taxes, how much they will pay and how the taxes collected will be spent. Governments use different kinds of taxes and vary the tax rates. This is done to distribute the tax burden among individuals or classes of the population involved in taxable activities, such as business, or to redistribute resources between individuals or classes in the population.

Tax systems of different countries include such taxes as an income tax, social security contributions, VAT (a value added tax, also known as a goods and services tax), a property tax, an inheritance tax, a wealth tax, sales taxes, excises, tariffs, etc.

Money provided by taxation is used to carry out many functions. Historically, the nobility were supported by taxes on the poor. Modern governments use taxes to fund welfare and public services such as education systems, health care systems, pensions for the elderly, unemployment benefits, and public transportation. Other functions include expenditures on war, the enforcement of law and public order, protection of property, economic infrastructure, public works, and the operation of government itself.

Adapted from: en.wikipedia.com

Useful words and expressions

1. among – среди

2. a burden – бремя

3. to carry out – выполнять

4. a civil penalty –административное наказание

5. a charge – сбор, плата

6. to collect – собирать

7. to consist (of) – состоять (из)

8. contribution – взнос, отчисление

9. direct – прямой

10. a division – подразделение