On taxation

[Rindenval]

This was probably discussed before but the forum search engine doesn't let me easily find it so sorry if this is a repetition.

I'm trying to build a mostly liberal nation, free market, low taxes, etc however I understand there are situations where the state should intervene. My issue with this game is that it looks as though every single issue causes a tax increase, even when they should be hardly noticeable and offset by other factors. Either you go full anarchist and blatantly ignore the people's concerns (which isn't what I want) or the other options cause a tax hike. Just had a issue about a 3yo getting lost in the woods, obviously I mobilised a rescue team, the other options were basically "tough luck" or "let's chip everyone" (which would also increase tax presumably) so these weren't really an option. Pretty much every issue has been like this.

Dismissing everything until an easy tax break issue shows up is also not fun and not how I'd want to play this. So I feel like this game kinda of pushes narions way too much into communist states and should be more balanced.

Thoughts?

[New Socialist South Africa]

Mobilising a search team would cost money, and that would have to come from taxes. Money doesn't grow on trees.

If you don't want taxes to go up with those kind of issues, then you have to make some hard decisions, like dooming citizens to a hard life or early death, or ignore the issue and hope it goes away (like many a real politician).

There are some issues that allow you to slash taxes massively, especially as your taxes rise, but they will usually cut back on everything else in the process too, from education and healthcare to law and order and defence.

If you are looking for a sense of what effects each issue has before you choose, some meticulous kind soul has assembled them in this helpful list, which includes taxes rising or falling:

http://www.mwq.dds.nl/ns/results/

Just note that it requires disabling Java to read, and that all of the effect changes are estimates. Sometimes choosing an issue that the list says will do one thing, like lowering taxes, does the opposite, like raising taxes. That is usually for nations that are already in extreme situations though, like nations with very low taxes.

[Fhaengshia]

If the result of an issue causes more spending, taxes increase to match the spending. No budget deficits here, which means taxes are indeed much higher than real world nations that push those problems to the future.

Many issues won't have an option to match how you would respond, while it may seem like "the easy way out", dismissing is the best option for some depending on the nation. It sounds like taxation is of particular concern for you, and I do understand how it just keeps going up if not paid attention to. My nation is a high tax anarchy if that makes any sense.

Rather than communist states (nations with the Capitalism policy vastly outnumber those without), I feel it's more of a big government bias that the game has. We do roleplay as leading governments in issues, so that's fairly natural. You're free to draft new issues in the got issues forum and even give feedback in good faith. Maybe an issue draft catches your eye but is missing an option you think of.

My tip would be to focus on the economy and your industries. Your government page shows 26.2% of GDP for government expenditure. If your economy increases while not changing the services, this should lower and you'll be more in line with liberal democracies.

[Rindenval]

I understand the tax increase from the example I gave, my point is it seemed to be the only balanced answer and it increases taxes. And that happens with most issues, so it's quite hard to cut on taxes without going to extremes.
I already suggested an issue, dunno about it's status but still hard to offset the thousands of issues already around like this. I don't want to end up another 100% tax nation, even if private industry is allowed what's the point if you don't have money left after the paycheck to decide how to spend it?

Thanks for the answers and tip