It’s become all too routine for me to go shopping and mindlessly swipe my debit card, forgetting that three letter word that has played a role in every transaction I have ever made.

Tax.

Not only affecting the price of my items at a store, but even affecting how much money appears on my paycheck after it is taken out of my net pay, taxes have impacted my finances starting at age 16.

Something that has always humored me is the fact that teenagers nationwide are being taxed without representation.

Sound familiar? You know, that one time when Americans threw a bunch of tea in a harbor.

So as I look at how taxation has affected my life as a young adult, I wonder a simple question, why am I not allowed to vote?

I know, I know, you probably think it’s the worst idea possible, and I understand that. However, there is a lot of statistics that might make you think otherwise.

So let’s go back to that whole tax thing. As a student with a part-time job, I see just how much money is taken out of my paycheck. Not only am I already contributing to programs such as social security, but my income taxes also contribute to health care programs, education, roads, national defense and much more.

In 2011, people were under the age of 18 contributed an estimated $730 million in income tax, but they have no say in how that money is being spent or where it is going.

As I see how I am already contributing to the nation’s economy, I cannot help but wonder why I can’t vote in the system I am benefiting.

Many adults are in opposition for this because of a few reasons.

The most common response I hear toward my argument usually consists of  “16 year olds are too stupid to vote.”

We never tell adults that they are too stupid to vote, and surely it would cause an uproar if we administered IQ tests in order for people to vote, so why do we assume that teenagers are more stupid than any adults who vote?

If adults were truly concerned about 16 year olds voting, we can look at initiating the topic of politics, government, and more historical context surrounding the topic of voting to students at a much younger age.

Not only would this help establish a platform for 16 year olds to start voting, but it would inform the public about the decisions they make when they are filling out a ballot.

Not only do federal elections affect teenagers, but local elections do as well. When we look at numerous topics being voted for, we see such a direct impact those could have on teenagers.

I believe that as a nation we need to take a second glance at how teenagers affect the economy, not only as avid consumers paying hefty sales tax, but as contributing income tax from part-time or after school jobs.