Civics question 71 of 128

Why is it important to pay federal taxes?

Source: official USCIS question list for the 2025 version of the civics test. This site is independent and not affiliated with USCIS.

Background

Paying federal taxes is required by law, funds the federal government, is required by the Constitution through the Sixteenth Amendment, and is a civic duty; any one of those answers the question. The Sixteenth Amendment is the piece worth knowing. Ratified in 1913, it let Congress tax incomes directly, after the Supreme Court had struck down an earlier income tax in 1895. Before that, federal revenue came mostly from tariffs and excise taxes. Income and payroll taxes now supply the large majority of what the government spends, and the biggest items on the spending side are retirement and health programs, the military, and interest on the debt. Tax day falls on April 15 in most years, and collection is handled by the Internal Revenue Service.

This background section is written by US Citizenship Test Practice to explain the civics fact. It is not part of the USCIS question list, and the official answer above is the one to give at the interview.

Where this question sits

It is part of Rights and Responsibilities, inside the American Government section of the test.

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