“Why should I give away 30% of what I make to the government?”
That’s a question many working-class people, freelancers, small business owners — basically anyone who isn’t part of a multinational tax-evading corporation — often ask. It feels like a moral dilemma wrapped in legal obligation: You work, they take.
But let’s step back for a second. Look at it from a different lens — the currency you’re earning isn’t even yours. It’s printed by the government, regulated by them, distributed through banks authorized by them, and recognized as “money” by their decree.
So when you make money, you’re essentially playing with their chips. You’re in their casino. And in any casino, the house always takes a cut. That’s the tax. Thirty percent — sometimes more, sometimes less. But always something.
Now let me give you a little story from my backyard.
I have two hens and one rooster. Every day, they give me two fresh eggs. I eat both eggs — sunny side up, boiled, scrambled, whatever my heart desires. No GST. No TDS. No Form 16. No government officer knocking on my door asking for 30% of my protein.
Because here’s the thing: there’s no currency involved.
The moment you stay off the grid — the moment you stop using printed money and start using what nature gives, or what your own effort produces directly — the government becomes irrelevant. The system loses its grip. The taxman disappears.
But if I decide to sell those eggs — let’s say, ₹10 each — the game changes. Suddenly, I’m not just a backyard poultry keeper. I’m a micro-entrepreneur. A taxable unit. There might be paperwork, licenses, FSSAI registration, income declarations, and maybe even GST if I dream too big.
All because I dared to convert two eggs into currency.
Here’s the Real Joke:
I can eat my eggs in peace.
But the moment I sell one, someone wants a cut.
The government doesn’t tax hunger. It taxes commerce.
You’re free when you eat your own egg. You’re liable when you sell it.
So the next time someone asks why we pay 30% of our income to the government, just remind them:
“You’re not being taxed for working. You’re being taxed for using the government’s currency system to prove your work has value.”
And if that bothers you, maybe it’s time to get a chicken.