Teens who cannot vote should not be taxed

It is no news that many teenagers are employed outside of school, whether that be every day, or only on the weekends. As a 16-year-old high school student, my peers and I can be caught at our jobs at the pool, the cafe, or the grocery. When receiving our paychecks, a good chunk is always noticed to be missing. The dreaded income tax.

It is utterly disappointing when receiving a paycheck that makes you think, “Where’s the rest?” While minors (age 15-17) get taxes taken out of their income, they have absolutely zero say in our government, as they are not eligible to vote until the age of 18. This is an example of taxation without representation.

 Similar to American colonists in the 1700s, minors are considered to be represented by politicians and their duty to serve for the best interest of the public, but we have no ability to participate in elections. This dilemma is what makes the taxes taken from teenagers feel a little silly at times.

When speaking with my friends who are also employed part time workers, I hear many complaints regarding how much money they’ve lost to taxes. The many remarks of “it’s so stupid,” and “this sucks,” really got me thinking about how and why we get taxed. 

Although my position as ASB School Board Representative actually does allow me to vote in policies passed at CVUSD school board meetings, that is just one position among thousands of students who do not share this same privilege. And while local government is important, obviously I still cannot vote in state or national elections, or anything unrelated to the school district. I would get income taxes taken either way, no matter what type of position I held in the community. For most employed minors, the income taxes taken are not reflected in the governmental action they are able to take. 

Some make a point that minors still make use of public services that their taxes go to, such as public education. While this is entirely true, the point is that minors do not get to vote on who creates or approves of these public services or policies which they live under. Even unemployed adults have the right to vote, just due to their age.

I am not claiming that it is entirely good or entirely bad that teenagers get taxed, but rather the undeniable fact that we do. In my opinion, there is not nearly enough conversation around this topic, and I would like to know how others with jobs think about the hundreds or thousands of dollars they could have had in their bank account.