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Strengths and weaknesses of financial literacy
Chapter 12 financial literacy
Strengths and weaknesses of financial literacy
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Abstract
Tax literacy presents one of the financial literacy dimensions which refers to possessing specific tax oriented financial knowledge and numeracy skills, required for managing tax calculations. Tax literacy is intended to help individuals receive information about taxes, to explain them taxes within a domestic system as well as regional and international system. The aim of this paper is to stress out that the complexity of the taxation system
Introduction
Tax literacy presents one of the financial literacy dimensions which refer to possessing specific tax oriented financial knowledge and numeracy skills, required for managing tax calculations. Tax literacy is intended to help individuals receive information about taxes, to explain them taxes within a domestic system as well as regional and international system. By acquiring basic knowledge of taxation and public expenditures, individuals become able to efficiently manage their personal
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According to the OECD (2008) there are many reasons why financial education presents a major policy concern. Financial education is particularly required due to the complexity of financial products and services, involving tax issues. Tax system itself presents a complex system, and in the context of continuous changes it becomes even more challenging for a financial consumer to be adequately educated on it. Of course, taxpayers who do not understand the tax laws and procedures cannot comply their tax obligations so they need education and assistance programs to help them better understand their tax obligations and entitlements. This precisely is the main function of financial literacy and financial education. Financial education is intended to increase individuals’ awareness of financial issues and possible financial risks, to provide them information on
Once high school ends, most students progress to college after a year or two from graduation. Due to all of the expenses for textbooks and etc., the student might realize that they don’t comprehend what to conserve or spend their money on to get through their years of college which will leave them clueless on what to do next. With situations like this that might occur, all high school students should take a financial literacy class as part of the mandatory course in order to get a diploma. With a numerous amount of students not having enough knowledge about how to manage their money carefully, presumably they’ll have trouble living their life as an adult. Taking a financial literacy class would help students stay out of debt, they’ll be prepared for their future, and they would recognize the discrepancies between wants and needs.
The majorities of financial advisers do not have a formal accounting or tax background and thus have some challenges to overcome when reading tax returns of their clients. However they are still asked to help their clients in future planning. Since most accounting is to be done based on compliance with GAAP it would make sense to think that tax accounting should also be done this way, however both the IRS and the courts have stated that compliance with GAAP is of little significance when dealing with the objectives of tax accounting. The objectives of both accounting methods are simply different, because the primary goal of financial accounting is to provide useful information to all stakeholders and the primary goal of the income tax system is the equitable collection of revenue. Because of these differences it can be said that the users of accounting information are different for both methods. The assumption for financial accounting is the going-concern and the tax accounting system ignores this assumption. These differences give us the concept of timing differences and permanent differences. Understanding...
The author is a editor and writer for a textbook publishing company. She argues that there are pros and cons of the system that is in place now, as well the new proposed flat tax system. With the flat tax system it would be easier for businesses and individuals because the tax would be simpler making taxes easier. There would be more drawbacks with the flat tax system such as: fewer jobs for accountants—no tax deductions. States would also be allowed to implement their own taxes. For those reasons they believe that the current tax system is the best system and people would not support a flat tax. The circumstances that cause the chapter to be written is that there could be a need for new textbook to be written. The purpose of the article is to educate students about the government, especially in America, this chapter was about taxation. The audience are students of either history or politics. He believes it will not be used in America: “The plans sound straightforward and have much to recommend them. But convincing voters and taxpayers to embrace them is a monumental task. People complain about their taxes, and the thought of taxation taking on a radically different form is a lot for people to
The conceptual framework identifies the primary users of accounting information as investors, creditors, and those who advise them. It also assumes a “prudent” investor; that is, an investor who takes the time to become reasonably well informed with respect to accounting theory and practice. Discuss this concept with respect to the current economic environment. Are different groups of investors “prudent”? According to the conceptual framework, the potential users of financial statements are investors, creditors, suppliers, employees, customers, governments and agencies, and the general public (Financial Accounting Standards Board, 2006).
There are also other external economic factors that would have an impact to an entity, but having financial preparedness would enable the entity to cope with the situation. Being financially literate, even under different economic factors, would allow for more options in taking certain courses of action appropriate for the situation. The organizational financial literacy, having been gained, would also reflect the entity's capabilities, strength and competitiveness. This having sufficient financial literacy would aid the organization in keeping up with the economic
In schools where financial literacy courses are foreign, for example, students as well as teachers may find themselves lost and confused. In Document A, 64% of teachers K-12 reported being unprepared or “not-well qualified” to teach finance. These problems have been outspoken by several critics, such as in Document B, where Burns cites that high schoolers that took a semester-long personal-finance course tested worse than those who did not, and that some feel math or statistics would be much more useful than finance. It’s hard to refute evidence such as this, but subjects can be changed, revamped. Much like we add new things to history when events occur, or science when research proves a new theory, we can improve financial literacy by how the world economy moves. In the digital age of commerce, we can adapt and change our system, much like Thaler in Document C advises, promoting In-time education when needed, simple rules of thumb to create everyday knowledge, and user-friendly support on the Internet to digitalize finance. In an age where you can know the time, temperature, and weather of London at any moment, from anywhere around the world, why should we not be able to ask how to save, when to save, where to save, or whether we're overpaying on a house or car? Those who deem studies on present financial literacy evidence of it being useless and a waste of money must understand that the subject is not set in stone. We will experiment, shift, change, and one day, we will find the right
Taxes in the United States include payroll taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, and a multitude of others. These taxes may be imposed on individuals, business entities, estates, trusts, or other forms of organizations. In general, there is a lot of inquiry on the current tax system. With endless loopholes, a regressed economy, and corruption there has been widespread anger on the current structure of taxation. Consequently, the wealthy have managed to become even richer despite the economic crisis. Furthermore, many taxpayers in the upper class have found loopholes to avoid substantial taxation or otherwise known as tax evasion. (Stewart 2013) Tax evasion has only grown over the years and with the national debt has become a major issue. What is more, is the intense complexity of the entire taxation process. Addressing all the issues and problems regarding the taxation structure is a meticulous and arduous process. With this in mind, politicians from both parties have tried to address individual issues within the taxation paradigm. Being that the United States has the highest corporate tax in the globe, politicians have tried to change policy regarding taxation on businesses. (Sullivan 2013) How...
A portion of the students were placed in the class and a portion of students were not given any formal classroom financial literacy training. All students participated in the Junior Achievement Finance Park simulation in which they were placed in real-life situations and had to make financial decisions. Their decisions affected their personal income and lifestyle within the simulation. The educated group “showed profoundly greater understanding of the financial issues they faced. Their completion rates were higher, they saved more, and they spent less on immediate gratification items such as clothing. These items were consistent with the lessons offered in the curriculum they received” (Carlin & Robinson, 2012). Also, the classroom students were more likely to use available resources, known as decision supports, to help them better understand their potential decisions. An example of a decision support includes additional information provided by a business to further explain their product or its features (i.e. explaining premium options on a health insurance plan). The study believes that “timely decision support and financial literacy training are complements, not substitutes” (Carlin & Robinson,
In The “Banking” Concept of Education, Freire adopts a tone that is mostly educational and informational. Freire’s tone helps support his purpose because by using an informative tone, the reader will view him as professional and knowledgeable about education. This can be perceived as a form of
Making improvements on our financial literacy results in a wave of impacts on our economy and the financial health in our society because of responisble behiavior with our finances. These modifications to our behavior are neccesary because it let's us address primary cultural problems, for example over-credits on your purchases, mortgages possibly resulting in debt, dealing with expectations on inflation and also planning on your retirement.
According to Accounting Theory: Contemporary Accounting Issues by Evans, accountants have developed two alternative approaches to accounting for income taxes, which are the cash method and the allocation method. The cash method is described as a simple and direct approach. The amount of income taxes actually paid for the year is reported on the Income Statement. The amount comes from the firm's income tax return and fit is not adjusted in any way. Therefore, the firm's actual transaction to record its income tax liability is the basis for the amount of the income tax expense reported on the Income Statement. The allocation method is a bit different. The actual amount of tax that is paid in the year is ignored when it comes to reporting income tax expense on the Income Statement. The amount of income tax expense reported on the Income Statement is based on the on the income tax rate that the firm pays, which is applied to the amount of pretax income. This makes the Income Statement perfectly consistent with the before-tax income. Using the allocation method makes it look like all items on the Income Statement based on the same method.
Optimal Taxes Should Depend On Personal Characteristics As Well As Income: Reliance on individual income as the only source of determining ability to pay tax is discouraged. Mirrlees (1971) suggests that other characteristics such as I.Q, number of degrees, age and colour should be used in determining the ability of a taxpayer. Other barometers referred to as “Tagging” was put forward by Akerlof (1978) to supplement the income oriented tax system. This provided more information on individuals, which the policymakers can capitalize on while determining tax liability.
It is true that academic pursuit of education is rigorous and many systems of education are needed to be incorporated. However, if banking education is consumed over problem-posing education, then we dehumanize the persons in the system when we should in fact driving towards a liberating experience for them.
Many new business owners struggle with the decision of whether or not to outsource tax compliance services plus “on average 55% of SME’s consider cost of service is an obstacle for them to seek external advice” (Banham, 2014). There are many tax authorities to which a business can owe taxes such as payroll taxes, self-employment taxes, property taxes and sales taxes to name a few. To make matters more confusing, the tax forms, filing and payment deadlines for each type of tax are also individual. Tax errors can occur in a number of ways and are not simply limited to under-reporting income. Other types of errors that can bring about penalties include applying deduction limitations incorrectly and worker misclassification. The IRS grants leniency to first time offenders that fail to file, pay or make timely deposits under the First Time Penalty Abatement policy. The penalties assessed for underpayment of taxes due to negligence are not covered under this policy. The majority of young businesses are not equipped with the financial backing to withstand the blow of such penalties resulting from an error on a tax
The second lesson concentrates on the importance of financial literacy. There is one rule to follow so as to understand financial literacy – “Know the difference between an asset and a liability, and buy more assets.” In order to do this, you need to be able to understand and comprehend numbers instead of jus...