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Origins Academic Team

IELTS Writing Task 2 - Tax Priority (Discussion Question)

Updated: Jun 14


Some people say that when deciding how taxes are spent, governments should prioritize health care. Others think that there are more important priorities for tax-payers’ money. 


Discuss both views and give your opinion. (13/04/2024)


SAMPLE ESSAY: 


The allocation of taxes has long been a subject of debate, with some advocating for  healthcare as the top priority for tax expenditure and others arguing for alternative sectors. In this essay, I will discuss both perspectives and explain why I lean towards the former.


On the one hand, opponents of healthcare prioritization often point to education as the most important area for tax allocation. They believe a sound educational system  helps produce a large group of capable and knowledgeable individuals  who could later contribute to the social and economic growth of their countries. Besides the educational field, these people consider infrastructure development and social welfare programs to be deserving of  significant tax revenue. Their reasoning is that while the former, such as improvements in transportation networks, can enhance the flow of economic activities, the latter, like  poverty alleviation initiatives , can address underlying inequalities  to promote social cohesion and stability


On the other hand, proponents of healthcare prioritization, including me, contend that such spending of taxes is crucial to social welfare. This has been evidenced by  robust healthcare systems in countries like Norway or Sweden, where citizens generally enjoy higher living standards and lower rates of social unrest  compared with other regions. Furthermore, prioritizing healthcare might alleviate economic burdens  relating to illnesses, as various studies have found that preventive measures  tend to result in long-term cost savings. For this reason, allocating taxes to medical care can be seen as an investment in the overall prosperity and productivity of a nation.


To sum up, although competing priorities like education, infrastructure development, or social welfare schemes are sometimes considered more worthy of  tax allocation, I assert that healthcare funding should take precedence over  all for its positive impact on a country’s well-being.



 

VOCABULARY

  • advocate (for) sth (phrase) = ủng hộ điều gì đó 

  • a sound educational system (phrase) = một hệ thống giáo dục tốt 

  • capable and knowledgeable individuals (phrase) = những cá nhân có năng lực và hiểu biết 

  • be deserving / worthy of sth (phrase) = xứng đáng với điều gì đó

  • poverty alleviation initiatives (phrase) = những biện pháp xóa đói giảm nghèo

  • address underlying inequalities (phrase) = giải quyết những vấn đề cơ bản liên quan đến bất bình đẳng xã hội 

  • promote social cohesion and stability (phrase) = thúc đẩy sự gắn kết và ổn định xã hội 

  • be evidenced by sth (phrase) = được chứng minh bởi điều gì đó 

  • robust healthcare system (phrase) = hệ thống chăm sóc sức khỏe toàn diện

  • lower rates of social unrest (phrase) = tỷ lệ bất ổn xã hội thấp hơn 

  • alleviate economic burdens (phrase) = giảm bớt những gánh nặng kinh tế

  • preventive measures (phrase) = những biện pháp phòng ngừa (bệnh) 

  • take precedence over sth (phrase) = được ưu tiên hơn so với cái gì đó 



 

BRAINSTORMING 


Body 1: Arguments for prioritizing taxes in other areas instead of healthcare

  • Education: a strong educational system can create skilled workers for a country → economic and social progress

  • Infrastructure and social welfare: improving infrastructure can stimulate economic growth, while implementing social welfare programs can promote social stability


Body 2: Arguments for prioritizing taxes in healthcare

  • A strong healthcare system is important to the well-being of a country (e.g. people in Norway or Sweden generally have better lives and fewer social issues thanks to strong healthcare systems)

  • Investing in preventive healthcare can save money in the long term → increased prosperity and productivity for a country



 

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