How To Use This Lesson

Go-Givers PowerPoints are designed to inform and support critical

thinking and discussion. They can be used in their entirety. However,
please feel free to save this lesson to your computer and edit, omit or
add content as appropriate for your pupils.

Please remember:

Always show the PowerPoint in slide show view. Links and
animations will only work when in this mode.

The green dot in the bottom right hand corner of the slide
indicates when the slide animation is complete.

The Learning Activities are intended for use in conjunction with the
PowerPoints and are linked at the end.


This lesson explores why we pay taxes
and what the money is spent on.
Nobody likes paying taxes.

Just ask your parents .. but ..


Taxes are what we pay
for a civilised society

O. Wendell Holmes
In 1943 5 Giant Evils were identified in a
famous report by William Beveridge. They
were:

Squalor Filth
Ignorance Lack of knowledge
Want Poverty
Idleness Lack of work
Disease Sickness

Measures were put in place to deal with
these evils after the Second World
War.

It meant that the Government had
taken responsibility to care for the
people of Britain from the cradle to the
grave
The Welfare State remains a basic
principle
of the British Government. It is a
commitment to:

Health
Education
Employment
Social Security (help for people who do
not have enough money to look after
themselves and their family)


There is no crock of gold.

The money to pay for these
things comes from the
taxpayers of Britain

And only with their agreement
Before each election the
Government, and the other
political parties have to
tell the voters how much
tax they are going to
collect, and what they
intend to spend it on.

Their plan is called a
Manifesto.


The voters can play
a part in the decision
by voting for the
party with the ideas
that they agree with
most closely.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer of the
party which is elected has to decide :

o How much money to collect from the
salaries/wages of people who are
working
o How much of this to spend on each of
the services that people need
Workers in Britain currently pay about
of their salary to the Government in
tax. Higher paid people pay more.

When we buy things the Government
charges 20% Value Added Tax (VAT).
Food, books and childrens clothes are
exempt
Think of a
game you have
bought recently


How much did you pay the Government in
VAT?

How much would it have cost without
the VAT?
Extra Duties are levied on cigarettes, alcohol
and petrol.





About of the price your parents pay for
petrol is tax and duty. The government raises
over 22,000,000,000 on petrol every year!
In 2009:

The NHS cost 102,000,000,000

Education cost 79,000,000,000

Social Security cost 186,000,000,000
The electorate (voters) will only agree
to a certain level of taxation.

This leaves individuals with the
opportunity to make donations to causes
they wish to see better funded.

They usually do this through
organisations called charities.
Some charities are international and raise
money for causes across the globe, others
support causes in the UK.

Some smaller charities operate in a specific
neighbourhood, or support activities which
take place in one building.

Which charitable causes do you support?

Divide into groups.

Each group will represent a Political Party.

Discuss what is important to you. If you had
the power of the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, how would YOU spend the billions
of money raised every year in taxes.

Can you agree a name for your party?


Be Chancellor for a Day!










The Houses of Parliament
% to the NHS

% to Education
% to Law and Order

% to Defence

% to Child Benefit

% to Basic State Pension

% to Benefits
100%
Expenditure
Decide what percentage of your expenditure will go to each particular area.


Income
Decide your priorities for raising tax.
% from Income tax of lower
earners

% from income tax of higher
earners
% from Beer, wine and spirits

% from tobacco

% from petrol
% from VAT
% from car tax
100%

Think about how you will explain why you
have chosen to tax some areas higher
than others.



How can you convince your voters that
your priorities are better than other
parties?
Hold a Class Election using the




Click here!

It must be a Secret Ballot. Remember:
you do not have to tell anyone how you
have voted.
Glossary
Democracy a system of rule which
gives the people the opportunity to vote
for the people who represent them.
Responsibility duty, task
Principle rule, belief
Manifesto programme,
Electorate people entitled to vote
Activities to complete this lesson include:











Rate this lesson here.

Click on the image above to view
and/or download learning activities.
discussion
questions
homework
activity
If you enjoyed this lesson, why not try:

Democracy
A three part module explaining democracy in simple
terms. How children can participate. Creating a new
political party. The Suffragette movement.

Have a Banana
How Fairtrade can create a more equal market for the
independent producer. The health giving properties of a
banana. Persuasive writing.
Useful Web Links
http://www.direct.gov.uk/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/Taxes/BeginnersGui
deToTax/fs/en?cids=Google_PPC&cre=Money&gclid=CPf_k8zXk4c
CFR9oMAodVXEotQ a beginners guide to the taxation system
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/citizenx/index.shtml - being a citizen
games and guides to local, national and international democracy
http://www.ukyouthparliament.org.uk/ UK Youth Parliament
represent young people in the U.K working closely with the
government
http://www.headsup.org.uk/ - an online debating space for under 18s
and teachers to discuss political issues

More Web Links
http://www.childrens-express.org/ - a project of learning through
journalism for 8-18year olds articles written by children on politics
http://www.childrenscommissioner.org a childrens guide to how
money is spent on children in the U.K giving the chance to put
forward opinions to the U.K governments representative for children