2025 civics test · Question 71 · Rights and Responsibilities
Why is it important to pay federal taxes?
Any one of these answers is accepted
- Required by law
- All people pay to fund the federal government
- Required by the (U.S.) Constitution (16th Amendment)
- Civic duty
What this means
Paying federal taxes is important for a few reasons, and naming one is enough:
- It is required by law.
- Everyone shares the cost of running the federal government.
- It is required by the Constitution through the 16th Amendment, which lets Congress collect an income tax.
- It is a civic duty.
The money funds things the whole country relies on, such as the military, national parks, roads, and federal programs. Because the cost is shared, the law requires people who earn income to pay their part.
A simple answer works: “it is required by law” or “it is a civic duty.”
Why this is on the test
This 2025 question connects a daily obligation, paying taxes, to the Constitution and to the basic idea of a shared responsibility.
How this question is asked
On the 2025 civics test, the officer asks up to 20 of the 128 questions out loud and you pass by answering 12 correctly. You answer in your own words. There is no multiple choice and nothing to write down for the civics portion.
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- 66 What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
- 67 Name two promises that new citizens make in the Oath of Allegiance.
- 68 How can people become United States citizens?