Taxation is the imposition of levies on individuals as well as businesses and corporations by governments. The revenues raised by taxes are used to fund public services, law enforcement and national defense, social welfare and healthcare, and other important government expenditures. In addition to being important for society, taxation is extremely important for businesses to understand, as various sales and corporate income taxes can have a significant impact on the bottom line of any company.
Because paying taxes has a major impact on both government and business revenues, submitting accurate federal tax returns are a legal requirement as well as a requirement for the financial statements that public companies must disclose to investors. Thus, businesses typically hire accountants with expertise in tax law, accounting terminology, and the application of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) to all the details of a company’s tax returns, including tax deductions, depreciation of assets, and business expenses.