This chapter discusses the importance of understanding taxes and how they influence business, investment, personal, and political decisions. It defines what constitutes a tax and describes different tax structures and rates. Key points include: - Taxes are payments required by the government unrelated to specific benefits received. - Tax rates can be marginal, average, or effective and are usually expressed as a percentage of the tax base. - Tax structures can be proportional, progressive, or regressive depending on how rates change with the tax base. - Major taxes include federal income, employment, excise, and estate/gift taxes as well as state/local sales, property, income, and excise taxes.