Taxes & Public Services · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Where tax money goes

Life Skills · Money & Finance · ages 9-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which of these is usually paid for using tax money?

    • A new video game you buy for yourself
    • A public school
    • A toy you got as a birthday gift

  2. What is a tax?

    • Money people pay so the government can pay for things everyone uses
    • Money you earn for finishing your homework
    • A prize you win for saving money in a piggy bank

  3. Taxes work because many people each pay a little, so everyone can share things like schools and hospitals.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Look at the chart. In this town, which service gets the biggest share of tax money?

    Schools30Hospitals25Roads20Police &Fire15
    • Schools
    • Hospitals
    • Roads

  5. Mia's mom just started a new job and earns a paycheck every month. What usually happens to part of that paycheck?

    • All of it becomes a gift card
    • It disappears and is never used
    • Some of it goes to taxes

  6. Why can everyone use the public library for free, even people without kids in school?

    • Because libraries never cost any money to run
    • Because taxes from many people pay for it together
    • Because only the mayor pays for it

  7. One year, far fewer working adults in a town pay their taxes. What is most likely to happen to services like the fire department?

    • The town may struggle to pay for it
    • The fire department gets bigger for free
    • Nothing changes because taxes do not matter

  8. Jake says, 'Taxes only pay for schools, nothing else.' What is wrong with what Jake said?

    • Jake is completely right
    • Taxes never actually pay for schools
    • Taxes also pay for things like hospitals, roads, and fire service
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Where tax money goes W1-mt_cSz7XTxVAx-s1

  1. A public school · Public schools are paid for with tax money, not personal purchases like video games or gifts.
  2. Money people pay so the government can pay for things everyone uses · Tax is money people give to the government so it can pay for things that help everyone, like schools and roads.
  3. True · That is exactly why taxes work: everyone gives a little, so there is enough for things like schools and hospitals.
  4. Schools · The chart shows schools getting the largest share of the tax money in this example town.
  5. Some of it goes to taxes · Most working adults have some tax taken from their paycheck automatically.
  6. Because taxes from many people pay for it together · Even people without kids in school pay taxes, and that shared money keeps the library open for everyone.
  7. The town may struggle to pay for it · Public services depend on tax money, so a town with fewer taxes coming in may find it harder to pay for them.
  8. Taxes also pay for things like hospitals, roads, and fire service · Taxes pay for many services, not just schools. Hospitals, roads, and fire service are examples too.
Worksheet · LightMySky