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Taxing Now or Borrowing for Later is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on how government pays for what it provides, aligned to Common Core standard D2.Eco.12.3-5. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two pupils in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 10 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Taxing Now or Borrowing for Later

D2.Eco.12.3-5

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.Why might a government borrow rather than tax for housing?
  • A.Taxes are illegal
  • B.The homes last decades, so the cost can be spread over decades
  • C.Borrowing is cheaper
2.What is the argument against funding it that way?
  • A.Councils are slow
  • B.Taxes are complicated
  • C.People with homes pay for homes they will never live in
3.Why is a house built for one family paid for by everybody?
  • A.Families cannot pay
  • B.Because the country decided housing was a public responsibility
  • C.Houses are cheap
4.Why can a council not simply build every home its list needs?
  • A.Councils cannot build
  • B.Lists are secret
  • C.Its funds and its materials are both limited, so it must choose
5.What is the difference between taxing and borrowing for a programme?
  • A.Taxing needs no law
  • B.Taxing pays now; borrowing pays later, with interest
  • C.Borrowing is free
6.The white paper says the cost falls on taxation and borrowing. What is taxation?
  • A.Money raised from the public to pay for what government provides
  • B.Money the government prints
  • C.Money councils earn
7.What is the answer to that argument?
  • A.Everybody moves
  • B.Taxes will fall
  • C.Bad housing costs everybody through illness and lost work
8.Who ultimately repays money a government borrows?
  • A.The lenders
  • B.The builders
  • C.Taxpayers, over the years the debt is repaid

LessonPrint · D2.Eco.12.3-5 · Set 10 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Taxing Now or Borrowing for Later

Set 10. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.The homes last decades, so the cost can be spread over decades
  2. 2.People with homes pay for homes they will never live in
  3. 3.Because the country decided housing was a public responsibility
  4. 4.Its funds and its materials are both limited, so it must choose
  5. 5.Taxing pays now; borrowing pays later, with interest
  6. 6.Money raised from the public to pay for what government provides
  7. 7.Bad housing costs everybody through illness and lost work
  8. 8.Taxpayers, over the years the debt is repaid

More practice for D2.Eco.12.3-5

Explain where the government gets the money for what it provides.

Teaching this next? Taxing Now or Borrowing for Later is the 55-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.

All Grade 3 to Grade 5 worksheets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Eco.12.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.