I am writing on behalf of professionals and businessmen of Pakistan. We are not evading taxes. We are trying to save taxes and pay for the basic needs of our families. We buy generators, solar panels and other systems because the government has failed to provide a reliable power supply. We install our own water systems because the government has failed to provide safe drinking water.
We hire security guards and use CCTV because the government has failed to ensure our safety. The politicians and their entourages travel with armed escorts with our money.
We send our children to private schools because the government has failed to provide good schools. The school fees of the children of politicians and officials are sponsored by obliging businessmen.
We go to private hospitals because the government has failed to provide decent medical care. The President’s fund pays the full bill for ministers and their cronies to go to London for treatment.
We buy and maintain cars because the government has failed to provide decent public transportation.
And what does the tax payer get in return on retirement, when he needs it the most to survive? Nothing! Not even social security.
Throughout his lifetime, his earnings are used by the government to give subsidies to the masses for buying votes.
What else does the government do with our tax money? They set up courts which give judgements as asked by the government. They operate police stations which work mainly for politicians. They operate hospitals which fail to treat the needy. They build roads and infrastructure to steal our money. The list is endless...
If the government provided the above as done by the governments of civilized countries, why would anyone evade or avoid paying taxes? We all know that tax revenue is misappropriated by officials and politicians and billions of dollars are lying in foreign banks.
A business works at a margin of between two percent to 10 percent, whereas the government takes 30 percent on one’s income to cover its wasteful expenditure. Is this at all fair?
This is why Pakistanis do not want to pay taxes. We save our tax money for our necessities, for our old age, for our safety and security.
This phenomenon indicates the failure of the government in discharging its own functions fairly and efficiently.
The government alone is responsible for this.
We hire security guards and use CCTV because the government has failed to ensure our safety. The politicians and their entourages travel with armed escorts with our money.
We send our children to private schools because the government has failed to provide good schools. The school fees of the children of politicians and officials are sponsored by obliging businessmen.
We go to private hospitals because the government has failed to provide decent medical care. The President’s fund pays the full bill for ministers and their cronies to go to London for treatment.
We buy and maintain cars because the government has failed to provide decent public transportation.
And what does the tax payer get in return on retirement, when he needs it the most to survive? Nothing! Not even social security.
Throughout his lifetime, his earnings are used by the government to give subsidies to the masses for buying votes.
What else does the government do with our tax money? They set up courts which give judgements as asked by the government. They operate police stations which work mainly for politicians. They operate hospitals which fail to treat the needy. They build roads and infrastructure to steal our money. The list is endless...
If the government provided the above as done by the governments of civilized countries, why would anyone evade or avoid paying taxes? We all know that tax revenue is misappropriated by officials and politicians and billions of dollars are lying in foreign banks.
A business works at a margin of between two percent to 10 percent, whereas the government takes 30 percent on one’s income to cover its wasteful expenditure. Is this at all fair?
This is why Pakistanis do not want to pay taxes. We save our tax money for our necessities, for our old age, for our safety and security.
This phenomenon indicates the failure of the government in discharging its own functions fairly and efficiently.
The government alone is responsible for this.