ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Fuel tax

Hello! Today, we're going to talk about something called fuel tax, which is a tax that the government charges on gasoline and diesel used for vehicles.

Okay, let's imagine that you have a toy car that you can move around by pushing it with your hand. Every time you play with your toy car, you need to refuel it with a liquid called gasoline or diesel, just like real cars.

Now, let's say that the government wants to keep the roads and highways in good condition so that cars can move around safely and quickly. To do that, they need to pay for things like road maintenance, construction, and repairs. So they charge a little extra money every time you buy gasoline or diesel.

This extra money is called fuel tax. It's like a special fee that you pay to the government to help them keep the roads in good condition.

But why do they charge more for gasoline and diesel instead of other things? Well, it's because when you burn gasoline or diesel in your car's engine, it produces exhaust fumes that pollute the air. The government wants to discourage people from using too much gasoline or diesel, and so they make it a little bit more expensive to buy. This way, people might be more likely to use public transportation or ride bikes instead.

So, in summary, fuel tax is a little bit of extra money that you pay when you buy gasoline or diesel for your car. It's used by the government to help pay for things like road maintenance and repairs, and to encourage people to use less gasoline by making it a little bit more expensive.