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User fees should directly relate to the services received. They should not unfairly burden people with low incomes or unduly limit access to public services. 

Public assets should not be sold to raise revenue if the sale would sacrifice resources that serve important national and regional purposes.

The following principles guide AARP’s efforts to further budgetary decisions that reflect the needs of all members of society. 

Taxation is the primary way governments fund essential programs and services. The following principles support this goal while also ensuring equity in how revenues are raised. 

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the states should increase support for taxpayer assistance programs such as the Tax Counseling for the Elderly and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program

The IRS and state revenue departments should increase their efforts to make tax forms—including electronic forms, publications, and correspondence—more accessible and understandable. 

Enforcement measures should be applied equitably across income classes and types of taxpayers. 

The IRS should increase its audit rate and raise penalties for noncompliance. 

Government budgets reflect the priorities of policymakers. They specify what programs and activities the government will support and how to raise the money needed to fund them.

Public health officials and policymakers should recognize social isolation as a significant public health issue and social determinant of health.

Policymakers and the private sector should develop a standardized screening tool to identify individuals experiencing social isolation.