Idea 21of 23Builds onA property tax bill has a school part
Public and private services
Which services do taxes pay for, and which do users pay for?
Today you'll discover
- what makes a service public
- what makes a service private
Think firstA public library and a cinema
Which of these is a public service, paid for by taxes?
Decide first, then press Next. Compare the top drawing with the bottom row.
Maple Town: families and businesses pay property tax into the town, and its revenue goes out to fire service, police, local roads, parks, garbage pickup and library. Along the bottom, a private service: you pay $12 at the door, the cinema keeps it, only ticket holders get in.
See the whole ideathe big idea and the key word, in one place
The big idea
Public services are paid for by taxes and open to all; private ones are paid for by users.
Public and privatePublic: a public school, a library, a fire service. Private: a cinema, a private gym, a music lesson. Some things come in both kinds.
Key word
- private service
- a service a business sells; only the people who pay for it get to use it
Ready to use it?
- Sort services into public and private.
- Explain who pays for each kind.