Once you start to earn a wage you will be liable to pay some income tax. The first few thousand pounds you earn in any year is known as your Personal Allowance and you do not pay any tax on this. in 2011/12 this is £7,475 and it will be £8,105 in 2012/13.
Your employer will deduct a percentage from the rest of your earnings to pay to Her Majesty's revenue and Customs as Income Tax. This money is used to pay for things like the health service, social services, defence and education.
More information is available from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.
You can use the library in your Connexions Centre too as it has information for you to read or take away. Go to Weblinx for more useful websites.