Weird taxes. The strangest taxes in the world
Almost every country can boast of some unusual taxes that its citizens had to pay at different periods of history. Some of them are included in our rating.
Top Unusual Taxes in World History
Civilization, developing, came up with more and more taxes. The maintenance of the state required considerable funds, and in order to collect them, it was necessary to impose such a tax that practically no citizen could avoid paying.We know about the tax on shade and toilets, on cowardice and freedom, on life and even the tax on plaster. The invention of the most incredible and most ridiculous taxes continues. Most likely, in the coming years, the list of taxes will be replenished with regular non-standard novelties.
tax on life
It would seem, is it possible to levy a tax on life from citizens? It turns out you can. Despite the fact that each of us receives life absolutely “free of charge”, the tax for having it still needs to be paid.
Any tax official considers ideal that tax, from which there is no way for any payer to evade. It was this ideal tax that was invented and put into practice in England in the fourteenth century. It was called the "Tax on Life". Because of this unusual tax, a great uprising took place in the country - the Peasants "Revolt.
Liberty tax
Today it is hard to believe that there were times when the tax on freedom seemed quite natural, however, in the world of slavery, no one was surprised or misunderstood.
The freedom tax was applied in ancient Rome and was paid when a slave was freed, either by the freed man or by his master. Thus, in order to be freed from slavery, a person paid a certain amount not only to his master, but also to Rome in the form of a tax on freedom.
air tax
Such a tax was paid by the rich people of Byzantium, who owned multi-storey buildings. It was believed that the air belongs to everyone, but large buildings take away a significant part of it from those around them. This means that the owners of houses must pay to the treasury for the inconvenience caused to people.
tax on cowardice
There was another unique tax in England - the Cowardice Tax. We are talking about the twelfth century, when cowardice cost the British a certain amount. Anyone who did not want to take part in the wars for the glory of the king - paid.
Initially, the amount of such a tax was very feasible, which is why almost everyone could pay off participation in hostilities, and there were not enough soldiers. This led to the fact that the king tripled the tax, and began to collect it from the knights even in peacetime. The people were outraged by this innovation, as a result, the Magna Carta appeared.
hat tax
Now wear what you want and no one will demand money for it, and in the seventeenth century in England, you had to pay money for the right to decorate yourself with a headdress. City dwellers paid 2 pounds a year, and villagers 5 shillings.
toilet tax
Another strange tax was introduced at the beginning of our era by the Roman emperor Vespasian. It's about the toilet tax. It should be noted that the son of the emperor did not support his father in inventing a new mandatory fee, as a result, he, having raised the bills to his son's nose, uttered the well-known phrase: "Money does not smell."The marble public toilets of Rome were used by the inhabitants of the city, including for meetings, and not only for their intended purpose. The Romans did not want to give up the city toilets and regularly paid this unusual tax.
Unusual taxes in Russia
Russia, like any state, cannot do without taxes, because it needs a lot of money to perform its functions. The author of a number of unusual taxes in Russia was Peter I. The most famous of them is the beard tax. The tsar believed that beards prevented Russian boyars from getting closer to Europe, believed that a ban on wearing a beard would instill European culture in Russians. Those who refused to comply with the king's decree and retained thick facial hair had to pay the so-called beard tax.
Petrovsky tax forced the Russian man to choose between the ban on the beard and the Russian custom of wearing a beard to the chest. It is known that a peasant was allowed to wear a beard for free only in his village, but if he went to the city, he paid one kopeck. Bearded men were required to wear an uncomfortable special zipun with a standing collar, otherwise a fine was imposed on them.
Peter also introduced a tax on domestic baths and a tax on idle capital. The tsar believed that capital should be overgrown with turnover, so as not to deprive the treasury of legitimate profits - collection from turnover. Capital idler was considered contraband and was subject to police seizure.
Fighting for the purity of marriages, in Bashkiria in the eighteenth century they introduced a tax on eye color. As you know, the native had coal-black eyes. A man with that eye color paid the minimum amount tax. Those who were born with green or gray eyes paid a more impressive amount. Albinos were taxed the highest in Bashkiria.
In the USSR, the most famous non-standard tax was the tax on childlessness, introduced in 1941. In this way, the state received funds to assist mothers with many children. The tax rate was six percent of wages.
In 1985, a tax on alcohol was introduced. So Mikhail Gorbachev intended to fight drunkenness. It should be noted that they wanted to introduce a similar tax in 2006 in order to support and develop horticulture and the wine industry.
The Russian tax system continues to evolve. It is not known what else she will surprise her citizens with, what unusual tax she will invent.
What tax is considered the most unusual in the world today?
It is difficult to say which of the non-standard taxes is the most unusual. It can be assumed that this is a tax on expanders of consciousness. It was introduced to the United States in Tennessee in 2005. In fact, this is the collection of payment for psychotropic substances, namely, ecstasy, marijuana, cocaine. This tax must be paid by every merchant, and anonymously. In the event that he is prosecuted for drug trafficking, after showing evidence of payment of this tax, this dealer will most likely receive some leniency.
Taxes create governments, but nature is also rich in wonders. .
Subscribe to our channel in Yandex.Zen
As Benjamin Franklin once said, nothing is inevitable in life except death and taxes. Sometimes the government taxes its citizens so stupidly that it doesn't fit in the head, such as the attempts of some countries to tax the Internet. In the UK, for example, televisions are taxed through a television licence, although the blind only pay half the tax. Our list includes ten of the most ridiculous taxes of our time, as well as a few absurd taxes from the past. If you know of any other funny laws, please add them in the comments.
I decided to make this collection an addition to the topic, where we examined the absurd laws of various countries. Now let's move on to ridiculous taxes.
10. Let's start from 10th place. The card tax is a prime example of how the government taxes something that is very popular and fun. During the introduction of the tax, playing cards was very popular at lunchtime (probably due to the lack of television and game consoles). Thus, the king decided to enrich himself at the expense of his subjects. The law required an insignia to be applied to playing cards, which confirmed that the tax had been paid. Those who played cards with no insignia were considered criminals.
9. In September 2009, the state of Illinois decided to tax regular candy, with more a high percentage than other foodstuffs. The law states that if the product contains flour, or requires refrigeration, then it is not considered a candy, and taxation occurs according to the standard scheme. Insanity lies in the fact that with this formulation of the law, yogurt with raisins is considered candy, and ordinary yogurt is considered food.
8. The famous jock tax in the United States is a tax that athletes who compete in various states must pay. Examples include the American Baseball League and Alex Rodriguez, who signed the largest ten-year, $252 million contract in history with the Texas Rangers. Although the state of Texas does not tax such income, the club had to pay tax in all other states where away games were played, with each state taxing a different amount.
7. The cowardice tax was a tax imposed on people who didn't want to fight for the King (not just for reasons of cowardice). The tax existed under Henry I (1100–1135), and was initially relatively small. But later King John raised it to 300% and began to impose it on all knights, even when there were no wars. This led to the Magna Carta. The tax lasted for about 300 years and was eventually replaced by other fundraising methods.
6. And again Great Britain. A tax on hats existed here from 1784 to 1811. The tax was introduced during the first reign of Pitt the Younger, and was designed as the easiest way to replenish the government's leaky treasury, knowing about the British commitment to hats. During production, special signs were applied to the hats, indicating that the tax had been paid. Tailors who failed to pay tax were heavily fined. But those who forged tax signs were executed.
5. The window tax was introduced in the kingdoms of England and Scotland during the 17th and 18th centuries. This was another attempt to fill the treasury, which caused a total rejection of windows among the poor people, they simply blocked the window openings with bricks. Surprisingly, the tax was not repealed and lasted until 1851. It is also worth saying that many did not want to spoil the appearance of their houses, and therefore they simply painted windows on them, like this:
4. In 1535, King Henry VIII of England, who himself wore a beard, imposes a tax on beards. The tax varied depending on the social status of the owner. His daughter, Elizabeth I, reintroduced the beard tax, taxing every beard older than two weeks. The tax also appeared in Russia as an attempt by Peter I to force people to shave, thereby introducing them to culture. Those who paid the tax could wear a beard, but along with it they had a special beard sign with them, which indicated that "the tax on the beard has been taken"
3. In third place on the list of ridiculous taxes is the drug tax. They are subject to illegal drugs in the state of Tennessee, USA. The tax, under a law passed in Tennessee in January 2005, applies to illegal substances, including cocaine, marijuana and others. Drug dealers are required to pay anonymously to state fund where they receive a stamp to prove payment of tax in case of arrest. If a drug dealer is arrested without a seal, the state would tax him triple the amount and face harsher sanctions. 22 other states also have similar laws taxing not only drug dealers but also prostitutes.
2. An agricultural fart tax was almost introduced in New Zealand in 2003 to reach compliance with the Kyoto Protocol. The tax was intended to release methane from cows, which in New Zealand produce more than 50% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Needless to say, there were protests because of the importance Agriculture in New Zealand, and the Labor government eventually abandoned their ridiculous idea of taxing cow farts
1. First up is the most ridiculous tax ever. Pecunia non olet (money does not smell). This phrase was born as a result of a tax imposed by the Roman emperors Nero and Vespasian in the 1st century on the collection of urine. The lower classes of Roman society urinated into pots that emptied out cesspools. After that, the urine was collected, and it served as a valuable raw material for many chemical processes: urine was used in tanning, laundry workers as a source of ammonia to whiten woolen togas. There is even evidence that urine was used as a tooth whitener. When Vespasian's son, Titus, complained about the heinous nature of the tax, his father showed him gold coin and delivered his famous quote. This phrase is still used today to show that the purchasing power of money does not depend on its origin. Indeed, after reading all of the above, one has only to wonder what else the government can be capable of in order to get taxpayers' money ...
Everyone pays taxes. After all, that is how the state is maintained. Due to taxes, pensions are paid, medical treatment is provided, and the army is maintained. The state at all times tried to get maximum income from its citizens. And enterprising residents came up with more and more new ways to evade taxes. It is not surprising that in a series of the most diverse ways of taking money from the population, quite unusual ones have also appeared. We will tell below about the most unusual taxes in the history of civilization. Some of them also significantly influenced the history of their countries.
Toilet tax. Such a strange tax was introduced by the Roman emperor Vespesian, who lived in the 70s at the very beginning of our era. Such a measure did not find support primarily from the son of the ruler, Titus. Then the emperor took the money earned in this way, brought it to his son's nose and uttered the legendary phrase: "Money does not smell." True, Titus replied: "And yet they are from urine." In addition, the pampered Romans got used to the marble public toilets of their city and began to pay the state for it. Yes, and toilets, like the famous baths, were used not only for direct need, but also for the sake of meeting and talking.
Sparrow tax. The inhabitants of Burtemberg in the 18th century faced a strange tax from their state. The owner of each house was ordered to kill 12 sparrows, for which a payment of 6 kreuzers was due. But if someone wanted to take pity on the poor birds and could not provide the required number of carcasses, then he had to pay the state 12 kreuzers. It is quite natural that no one wanted to run after the birds, so an underground trade in dead sparrows arose in the country.
Shade tax. Even intangible objects are subject to tax. An example of this was Venice, which recently, in 1993, introduced a shadow tax. According to this rule, all establishments whose shade from awnings and umbrellas falls on urban land are required to pay for it. The authorities realized that getting rid of the shadow is quite difficult, so the tax regularly replenishes the city treasury.
Cowardice tax. Being a coward is shameful, and sometimes unprofitable! Indeed, at the beginning of the 12th century, a tax on cowardice was introduced in England. According to it, every knight or citizen liable for military service who did not want to fight for the glory of his king in numerous wars was obliged to pay. At first, the amount was small, but probably there were so many who wanted to pay, and so little to fight, that King John immediately increased the tax by 3 times. In addition, the ruler began to take money from the knights even in peacetime. As a result, the tax so outraged the population that it became one of the reasons for the emergence of the Magna Carta.
Hat tax. Today it is difficult to expect that such a tax would be profitable. But there were times when the state counted on these revenues. This happened in England from 1784 to 1811. After all, it was in it that every man wore a bowler hat or top hat, regardless of his social status and wealth. The tax worked particularly well among the wealthy. After all, it was they who possessed several hats at once, while the poor had one at best. The country began to receive money from scratch, but in the end the tax had to be canceled.
Beard tax. This tax is well known to us from history. After all, it was introduced in Russia by Peter the Great in 1689. The king tried to bring the country closer to Europe, starting with the removal of beards. There were several types of them - boyar, merchant, peasant, etc. A peasant could wear a beard for free only in his village, and when entering the city he had to pay 1 kopeck. The bearded men were even forced to walk in a special uncomfortable zipun with a standing collar. If such a person appeared in other clothes, then a fine was imposed on him for each case of violation. Insolvent bearded men were even sent to hard labor for their debts to the state.
Drug tax. Such a tax, among other things, is among the most senseless. In America, there is an organization called the Internal Revenue Service, which performs the functions of our tax office. This service officially requires that illegal proceeds from the sale of drugs be declared. For this, even line No. 21 in form 1040 is highlighted. It remains only to find a conscientious dealer who admits to violating laws only in order to pay taxes due.
Freedom tax. In a world of slavery, such a tax was natural. It originated in ancient Rome. There, a free tax (manumission) was paid when a slave was freed. Sometimes the amount was paid by the owner himself, it was believed that he was rich enough, releasing the slave into the wild. But in most cases the tax was paid by the slave himself. One can imagine the grief of a former slave who paid his master for his emancipation and learned that now he must also pay Rome for it.
Tax on dissidents. This tax is the dream of modern politicians. After all, he allowed to make those who disagree pay for their opinion. As a result, dissidents either changed their minds or simply lost their livelihood. History has created a precedent for such a tax - it was introduced in 1655 by Oliver Cromwell. Although he was not an English monarch, he had great power in England. Such a tax was introduced against supporters of the king who threatened the country. The collected money made it possible to create a people's militia, which protected the country from militant royalists. But it is far from always clear to people where their money is being spent.
Life tax. And there is no way to refuse such a tax at all, any tax official dreams of this! After all, everyone will have to pay, regardless of income, age or occupation. One day, the English rulers decided that people should pay only because they live in this world. This is how the life tax came about. The inhabitants of England began to pay according to such a law in the XIV century. As a result, the country experienced a great uprising, which was called the Peasants "Revolt.
Nobel tax. If you believe that Nobel Prize winners who received it for achievements in politics, science and literature do not pay tax on this, then you are mistaken. Since 1986, this premium has come under the category of cash gifts, the state taxes it accordingly. The percentage of payment in each country is different, but this fact is quite remarkable. An exception is made only if the laureate donates the entire amount to charity. In this case, he simply does not have this money. The state may also offer assistance to a particular college or school.
Tax on foreigners. Nowadays, such a tax is not only not considered strange, but it is also considered quite normal. Any foreigner must pay the state the fact of his stay in it. Meanwhile, such taxes have long been out of fashion - they existed in different states until the 20th century. So, in Canada until 1923 there was a tax on the Chinese! Why on them? In those days, many former citizens of the Middle Kingdom came to Canada, which led to the introduction of a tax that regularly replenished the country's treasury. As a result, in 1923 the tax was canceled, but not at all because of concern for poor Asians. It's just that there are so many Chinese in the country that the government prudently decided to completely ban them from entering Canada.
Pipe tax. English rulers loved to invent new types of taxes. Everything that moves and breathes has already paid money. The population could not look at it resignedly, hiding objects of taxes either under the floor or in the chimney. The state decided to deal with such disgrace by adopting a tax on the hearth in 1660. Now anyone could hide anything in the chimney. The pipe itself was also taxed. But even here the population began to be cunning - people began to dismantle their pipes and use their neighbors. The use of one common pipe for several rooms has come into fashion. But after a series of major fires in London in the 1680s, the tax was finally abolished.
Window tax. This tax on the use of glass eventually became an important cultural, architectural and social phenomenon, first in England and Scotland, and then throughout Great Britain in the 17th and 18th centuries. As a result, windows covered with bricks appeared in some buildings of that period. In those days, the production of glass was quite an expensive undertaking. Few dared to use it for windows and similar purposes. Therefore, the tax on glass windows, introduced in 1696 by King William III, was essentially a tax on wealth. However, the mechanism soon began to be used more widely, bringing the state to profit, like other ordinary similar laws. In those days, the richest people used such a tax to separate themselves from people with an average income. Purchased a lock or Vacation home, whose architecture implied the largest number of windows. Sometimes windows were even built into load-bearing walls. The famous window tax lasted until 1851, and was replaced by another that became the basis of the current city tax. Experts say that the expression "theft of daylight" appeared precisely because of this famous law. However, the first phrase that daylight was stolen from someone dates back to 1949. But by that time, the window tax had already been canceled for almost 100 years, making the hypothesis unlikely. Yes, and in France from 1798 to 1926 there was a similar tax, introduced by Napoleons. The French paid not only for windows, but also for doors.
Tax for Denmark. In 991, the inhabitants of England were forced to pay a land tax to pay a ransom to the Danish Vikings for the opportunity to live in peace. In fact, Denmark taxed the inhabitants of another state. A very unusual form of racket! Such a tax existed for almost 200 years - until 1194. By that time, the money had not gone to Denmark for a long time, remaining in the country and going to purchase weapons and build fortresses.
Salt tax. It would seem that unusual in such a tax? However, the story goes that this tax led to massive events. Thus, the salt tax led the Chinese empire to decline; in France, it significantly accelerated the development of the French Revolution. The existence of the tax in India caused mass demonstrations, and Mahatma Gandhi also took part in them. Is it any wonder the indignation of the Indians, because England has set a tax rate of 4000%! He brought the country's treasury 5% of the total income.
Watch tax. Another interesting tax was introduced by the British in 1797. This time the state treasury was replenished by the watch owners. The tax lasted only 1 year, but during it each watch owner paid the country 5 shillings.
Tax for the right to ride a bicycle. In March 1910, the City Duma of Simbirsk adopted a resolution according to which each owner of a bicycle had to pay 50 kopecks to the city treasury. Cyclists, on the other hand, were given a booklet in which the rules of riding were indicated in detail. So, it was forbidden to drive on sidewalks, parks and gardens, as well as to move in large groups around the city. In addition, each bike owner had to equip his vehicle license plate.
Eye tax. Under Peter I, citizens paid not only for beards, but also for eyes. The tax was introduced in early XVIII century in Bashkiria. People paid the state according to the color of their eyes. So, for black, the treasury received 3 altyns, and for gray - already 8.
Plaster tax. There are a lot of people who love skiing in the Alps. As a result, 150,000 people are injured every year, and the cost of their treatment exceeds a billion shillings. So we decided in Austria to help our clinics. Skiers now pay a tax on plaster every time they ski, which is transferred to local medical institutions.
At all times, since the formation of the first states, the authorities tried to introduce taxes, through which it was possible to replenish the treasury. In most cases, taxation was quite logical and did not raise questions from people. However, there were times when the desire to get rich won common sense.
We invite you to learn about taxes that can safely be called strange.
Gypsum tax (Austria)
Austria is known for its ski resorts, which attract hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. Most of these people come not only for a portion fresh air but also for extreme sensations. The Austrian government considered that the health insurance that every tourist entering the country does not fully cover the state's expenses for endless dislocations and fractures of people. In this regard, it was decided to include an additional amount in the cost of ski services, which is intended to cover the cost of gypsum, if a tourist suddenly breaks any part of the body.
Prostitution tax (Holland)
At some point, the news from Holland stopped shocking the whole world. It would seem that the peculiar way of life in this country no longer surprised either local residents or tourists, when suddenly the country's authorities decided to impose a tax on shop windows, behind which women who sell their bodies demonstrate their charms. The government claims that in this way it was possible to raise a budget that will be used to pay for additional patrols in neighborhoods where prostitution is common. Sex workers are categorically against the new tax and intend to defend their case in court.
Sparrow tax (Germany)
The tax on sparrows was invented in one of the cities of Germany in the 16th century. Local authorities found no better explanation for the unexpected fundraiser than that the poor birds were chirping too loudly and disturbing sleep. Every inhabitant of Württemberg had the opportunity to bypass the payment of tax by killing a dozen sparrows, for which he also received 6 kreuzers. If the owner of the house did not hand over the bodies of dead birds by the required date, then he had to replenish the state treasury by 12 kreuzers. The laziest residents of the city bought dead birds from underground sellers.
Peace Tax (Republic of Guinea)
Back in the 11th century in England, knights had to pay funds to the state for all the time that the country did not participate in the war. Such a tax existed for about 300 years, then it was replaced by another one, which allows replenishing the treasury at the expense of the troops. Today, paradoxically, there is a similar tax. Residents of the Republic of Guinea are forced to pay a peace tax, although there is no military action in the country. Despite the fact that the majority of the inhabitants of the Republic of Guinea are below the poverty line, the authorities continue to collect fixed amount from all people.
Tax on cow farts (Estonia)
In 2008, the Estonian authorities introduced a tax on the emission of methane by cows, which pollutes the air. The tax was imposed only on those farms where there are cows. Farmers who raise chickens, pigs or other animals were exempted from collecting Money. The fact is that the country does not have a large number of enterprises that pollute the air, so cows were chosen as the worst polluters.
Sun tax (Balearic Islands)
The tax on the sun was imposed not on local residents, but on tourists. Every foreigner who comes to the resorts of Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca and several other islands must pay 1 euro per day for staying under the sun on a foreign land. The authorities claim that all the funds raised are spent on improving the infrastructure of resort areas, cleaning beaches and restoring the ecological balance of the environment.
Hat tax (UK)
From 1784 to 1811, the British government managed to significantly replenish the state treasury, one might say, without much effort. All it took was a tax on hats. In those days, both rich men and poor men could not imagine their lives without a headdress. The only difference was that a rich gentleman had several varieties of hats, for which the tax had to be paid higher than a poor man who had only one headdress.
Barbecue tax (Belgium)
Residents of the Belgian region of Wallonia, since 2007, must pay a tax on the use of grills. One can speculate for a long time why the authorities decided to introduce just such a tax, but it is unlikely to be able to guess the true reason. The fact is that in a similar way the Belgian government is fighting global warming. According to them, every time a Wallooner fires up coals on the grill, a large amount of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, which, in turn, affects climate change. For each use of the barbecue on his site, a person must pay the state 20 euros.
Tax on tattoos and piercings (USA)
A person who decides to pierce any part of the body or apply a tattoo in the US state of Arkansas should stock up on additional funds. This place has a body modification tax, and the Arkansas resident must pay 6% of the cost of the amount of the procedure that he will receive. The authorities claim that in this way they are struggling with an unprofessional approach to tattooing. In their opinion, such a tax will help prevent the spread of various kinds of diseases.
Dust tax (Armenia)
In Armenia, it was decided to introduce a tax on dust. More specifically, the government felt that there was too much dust in the courtyards of the country, and organizations that monitor cleanliness could not cope. The official appeal to the citizens of Armenia reads: "Having discussed the issue of removing excess dust in the yards by sanitary-cleaning organizations, the Ministry of Economy decided: the population must pay the cost of dust removal at the rate of 1.91 drams per 1 square meter."
Shadow tax (Venice)
In Venice, back in 1993, a strange tax was introduced, which is still in effect today. Every owner of a shop or cafe whose building shade falls on municipal land must replenish the state treasury. Many owners dismantled the facades of buildings to get rid of paying the tax, but there are those who still pay the money. It is noteworthy that the collection of money does not depend on the number of sunny days in the city.
Civil marriage tax (China)
You will not surprise anyone with a civil marriage these days. Some are supporters of such relations, others are ardent opponents. For example, in many European countries, more than 60% of couples live together without registering their relationship. The authorities of the Chinese city of Tianjin in 1996 decided to oppose such relationships and announced a tax that applies to couples in love. Now cohabitation without formalization of relations costs a thousand yuan a year.
Cowardice tax (England)
The cowardice tax was levied on knights or citizens liable for military service if, for some reason, they did not want to take part in the wars for their country. In fact, such a tax was an official bribe and enabled the coward to pay off all the dangers that could await him in the war.
Mind Expander Tax (USA)
Paradoxically, in 2005, the US state of Tennessee introduced a tax on psychotropic substances. The authorities offer drug traffickers to anonymously pay a certain sum of money for the opportunity to distribute their goods. If the drug dealer is arrested, he can produce receipts showing that taxes have been paid on time, which will allow the drug dealer to defend himself in court.
Tax on disposable chopsticks (China)
All lovers of Asian cuisine know what disposable wooden sticks are used for. What can we say about the inhabitants of China, who at the meal unanimously prefer this simple and ingenious invention. Few of the lovers of Chinese cuisine have thought about how many trees are cut down so that a person, using chopsticks only once, throws them away. The Chinese authorities not only thought about this issue, but also introduced a tax on the use of disposable chopsticks. Now the people of China must pay 5% of the sale of each pair of wooden sticks to the state treasury.
Subscribe to our channel in Yandex.Zen!
Click "Subscribe to the channel" to read Ruposters in the Yandex feed
Since ancient times, people have been paying taxes to the state treasury. Thanks to this, the state apparatus can fully operate and provide for the various needs of citizens.
This article has collected the most unusual taxes in the world. Some of them will simply blow your mind.
By the way, if you like unusual Interesting Facts, then we recommend paying attention to the heading "". Very interesting!
tax on life
If you previously thought that this simply could not be, then you are deeply mistaken. So, in the 14th century, the government of England decided to levy a tax on life.
Obviously, the government was trying to come up with a tax that would be impossible to evade. This decision of the elite caused a storm of indignation among ordinary citizens.
As a result, in 1831, an uprising took place in the country, known as "Wat Tyler's Rebellion".
Liberty tax
Today it is impossible for a modern person to imagine that in some country there can be a tax on freedom. However, in the past, when slavery was widespread in the world, such a tax did not cause much surprise to anyone.
Yes, according to the law ancient rome, the freedom tax was paid either by the slave himself or by his master. That is, when a slave wanted to get freedom, he had to pay not only his master, but also the state.
air tax
Surely you all remember the brilliant Soviet cartoon "Chipollino", where at the very end the tyrant ruler announces new taxes, including the air tax. But it turns out that a similar thing took place in real life.
In the Byzantine Empire, it was believed that the air should belong to all citizens. So when wealthy people built multi-story houses, they, in fact, occupied a significant part of the airspace.
As a result, these citizens had to pay a tax to the state for consuming more air than others.
tax on cowardice
The cowardice tax was introduced in England in the 12th century. It was paid by the person who refused to take part in hostilities. Initially, the amount was not very large, so many citizens began to pay off military service.
Then the English king increased the tax by 3 times, and began to collect it even in peacetime. Such decrees angered the people, as a result of which, in June 1215, the famous Magna Carta appeared.
hat tax
IN modern world a person can wear any headdress, but in 17th century England, such a luxury had to be paid for. City residents had to pay 2 pounds to the treasury, and villagers - 5 shillings.
Toilet taxes
This strange tax was introduced about 2000 years ago by the Romans. When the emperor's son found out about such a tax, he did not support his father's idea.
Vespasian then held the proceeds to his son's nose to ask if the money smelled. And when his son answered in the negative, Vespasian said: "But this money is from urine."
As a result, the expression "Money doesn't smell" has become.
And since Roman citizens used public toilets not only for their intended purpose, but also for meetings, the imperial treasury received a good source of income.
Unusual taxes in Russia
One of the greatest reformers was Peter I. It was he who introduced a beard tax in order to instill European culture in the boyars. However, those who continued to wear a beard had to pay for their "luxury".
According to this tax, a peasant could wear a beard in his village, but when leaving for the city, he had to pay 1 kopeck to the treasury.
Also bearded men without fail had to wear special zipuns with a high collar. If they didn't, they had to pay for that too.
Even Peter I introduced a tax on domestic baths and a tax on idle capital. The autocrat believed that any capital should be in circulation and bring profit to the state.
In 1941, the Soviet Union introduced a tax on childlessness. All proceeds were used to help mothers with many children. The tax rate was 6% of a person's salary.
In the 18th century, a tax on eye color was introduced in Bashkiria. With his help, the state wanted to preserve the purity of marriages. The native Bashkirs have black eyes, so they paid the minimum tax.
However, those citizens whose eyes were green or gray at birth had to pay more.
They were taxed the most.
The most unusual tax in the modern world
It is quite difficult to answer the question of which tax is considered the most unusual today. After all, today there are a huge number of ridiculous taxes around the world.
This list includes a tax on expanders of consciousness. It was introduced to America in the state of Tennessee in 2005.
According to this law, every drug trafficker must anonymously pay tax for engaging in such illegal activities.
That is, if the drug dealer is prosecuted, he can show evidence that he paid the appropriate tax.
This, in turn, will allow him to have extenuating circumstances during the trial.
US dollar tax
In the early 2000s, the US government imposed economic sanctions on Cuba. Then the leader of this country, introduced a ten percent tax on exchange operations from dollar bills. This measure affected exclusively the US currency.
noise tax
In 1980, a noise tax was introduced at the Swiss airports of Geneva and Zurich. Every plane taking off was subject to a fee for making noise.
Peace Tax
Guinea has a peace tax. So, if there is no war in this state, each resident is obliged to pay an annual tax of about 17 euros.
Piracy tax
France and Germany have a tax on intellectual property piracy. Due to the fact that artists suffer losses from illegal copying of their work, the citizens of these countries were taxed.
Now, when buying blank CDs, VCRs, hard drives and hard drives, people have to pay taxes, which are then returned to the affected artists.
Strange Tibetan taxes
In the 19th and 20th centuries, Tibet was the leader in the number of the most bizarre and unusual taxes. Citizens were required to pay taxes for weddings, the birth of children, the singing of songs, and even the ringing of bells.
Of course, the most unusual taxes in the world can be listed indefinitely. And if we missed some very interesting unusual taxes, be sure to write about it in the comments.