Understanding Taxes

Students discuss factors that make various taxes different: bases, rates, structures, methods of collection, and level of government imposing the tax. They learn a simple tax formula and information about four common types of taxes (income, payroll, sales, and property). Students apply this knowledge to calculate for three households the total taxes paid and the net income based on their gross income and expenditures.

•  Lesson (pdf)

•  PowerPoint slides (pptx)

The Making Personal Finance Decisions curriculum teaches valuable personal finance lessons grounded in economic theory. The curriculum is divided into 10 themed units, with each unit containing two lessons. The twenty individual lessons employ a variety of teaching strategies designed to engage students in the learning process and equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed personal finance decisions. Understanding Taxes is lesson 4B of Unit Four: Paying Taxes.

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