Junior Tax Facts by HMRCgovuk

What are taxes? How do they help society? 

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Discover what taxation is and how government spending helps solve inequalities; by asking why do adults have to give some of their money to the government? Where does this money go? What would happen to our community if no one paid their taxes?  

Follow this Process:

  1. Watch the three video clips about taxes and government spending:

    1. Junior Tax Facts

    2. Why do we pay taxes?

    3. Let's do this TV Ad (90s)

  2. In groups of three, discuss and note the key aspects of taxation. What are taxes? Why does society need tax? What would happen if no one paid their tax?

  3. Brainstorm a response to the third video you watched about what the Labour Party has promised. What are they promising to achieve in this video because they have access to taxpayer money? What are they doing for New Zealanders with taxes?

  4. Summarise your ideas in a presentation (video, slideshow, poster) and tell the class what you have learnt about taxes and how they, when used correctly, help benefit society.

  5. Present to the class, each taking turns to address key points.

  6. Take action and decide how you will use this knowledge to consider tax? What will you think next time you see a government funded project? Consider what would happen to the project if it wasn’t funded through taxes.

  7. Capture and share these outcomes using photo and/or video to inspire others. Could you present this to a local MP or community board in your area? Or create your own video to post on this website?

Educator Notes

To challenge:

Require groups to research more of the tax policies from the New Zealand labour party and include statistics in the presentation.


To simplify:

Focus on basic tax understanding and disregard the section about the labour party.