Strange taxes. The strangest taxes in the world
Almost every country can boast of some kind of 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, which practically no citizen could evade paying.We know about taxes on shade and toilets, on cowardice and on freedom, on life, and even a tax on plaster. The invention of the most incredible and absurd taxes continues. Most likely, in the coming years, the list of taxes will be replenished with more non-standard novelties.
Life tax
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 its existence still needs to be paid.
Any tax officer considers the tax ideal, which no payer has any opportunity to evade. It is this ideal tax that was invented and implemented in England in the fourteenth century. It was called "Tax on Life". Because of this unusual tax, there was a big uprising in the country - the Peasants "Revolt.
Freedom tax
Today it is difficult to believe that there were times when the tax on freedom seemed quite natural, however, in the world of slavery, it did not cause surprise or misunderstanding to anyone.
The tax on freedom was applied in ancient Rome and it was paid when a slave was freed, either by the freed one or by his master. Thus, in order to free himself 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
This tax was paid by the wealthy people of Byzantium, who owned multi-storey buildings. It was believed that air belongs to everyone, but large buildings take a significant part of it from those around them. This means that homeowners must pay to the treasury for the inconvenience caused to people.
Cowardice tax
There was another unique tax in England - the Cowardice Tax. It's about the twelfth century, when cowardice cost the English a certain amount. Those who did not want to take part in wars for the glory of the king paid.
Initially, the amount of such a tax was very feasible, because of which almost everyone could pay off from participating in hostilities, and there were not enough soldiers. This led to the fact that the king increased the tax three times, and he began to collect it from the knights even in peacetime. The people were outraged by this innovation, and the result was the Magna Carta.
Hat tax
Now wear it what you want and no one will demand money for it, and in the seventeenth century in England for the right to decorate yourself with a headdress it was necessary to pay money. 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 compulsory collection, as a result, he, holding the bills to his son's nose, uttered the well-known phrase: "Money does not smell."Rome's marble public toilets were used by the inhabitants of the city, including for meetings, and not just 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 funds to fulfill 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 the Russian boyars from getting closer to Europe, he believed that the ban on wearing a beard would instill in Russians European culture. Those who refused to comply with the Tsar's edict and kept thick facial hair had to pay the so-called beard tax.
The Petrovsky tax forced the Russian man to choose between the ban on the beard and the Russian custom of wearing a beard up to his chest. It is known that a peasant was allowed to wear a beard free of charge 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 they were fined.
Peter also introduced a tax on home baths and a tax on non-working capital. The tsar believed that capital should be overgrown with turnover, so as not to deprive the treasury of legitimate profit - the collection from turnover. The slacker capital was considered contraband and subject to police seizure.
Struggling for the purity of marriages, a tax on eye color was introduced in Bashkiria in the eighteenth century. As you know, the indigenous inhabitant had coal-black eyes. A man with that color of eyes paid minimum amount tax. Those who were born with green or gray eyes paid a more impressive amount. The highest tax was imposed in Bashkiria by albinos.
In the USSR, the most famous non-standard tax was the childlessness tax, introduced in 1941. In this way, the state received funds to help mothers with many children. The tax rate was equal to six percent of wages.
In 1985, the alcohol tax 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 the horticulture and wine industry.
The Russian tax system continues to evolve. It is not known how else she will surprise her citizens, what an unusual tax she will invent.
What tax is considered the most unusual in the world today?
Which of the non-standard taxes is the most unusual is hard to say. It can be assumed that this is a tax on expanders of consciousness. It was introduced in the United States in the state of Tennessee in 2005. In fact, it is the collection of payments 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 trafficking in narcotic substances, after providing evidence of payment of this tax, this trader is likely to receive some leniency.
Governments create taxes, but nature is also rich in miracles. ...
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As Benjamin Franklin once said, there is nothing inevitable in life except death and taxes. Sometimes the government imposes taxes on its citizens so stupid that it does not fit in the head, such as attempts by some countries to tax the Internet. For example, in the UK, televisions are taxed through a television license, although the blind only pay half of the tax. Our list includes ten of the funniest taxes of our time, as well as some absurd taxes from the past. If you know of any other funny laws, I ask you to add 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 with 10th place. Card tax is a prime example of how the state taxes something that is both popular and fun. At the time of the tax introduction, playing cards was very popular during lunch breaks (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 the application of an insignia on playing cards, which confirmed the payment of tax. Those who played cards without insignia were considered criminals
9.In September 2009, the state of Illinois decided to tax regular sweets, with more high percentagethan the rest of the food. The law states that if a product contains flour, or requires refrigeration, then it is not considered a candy, and taxation proceeds 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 food
8. The famous jock tax in the United States is a tax that must be paid by athletes competing in different states. An example is the American Baseball League and Alex Rodriguez, who signed the largest-ever ten-year contract worth $ 252 million with the Texas Rangers. Despite the fact that the state of Texas does not tax such income, the club had to pay tax in all other states where the away games were held, and in each state the tax was a different amount.
7. The cowardice tax was a tax imposed on people who did not want to fight for the King (not only for reasons of cowardice). The tax existed under Henry I (1100-1135), and was initially relatively small. But later King John raised it by 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. The 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 supplement the leaky government coffers, knowing the British adherence to hats. During production, special signs were applied to the hats, indicating the payment of tax. Tailors who did not pay the tax were subject to heavy fines. 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 by poor people, they simply filled the window openings with bricks. Surprisingly, the tax was not canceled 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 had a beard, introduced 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 get 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 was taken"
3. In third place on the list of funny taxes is the drug tax. It is imposed on illegal drugs in Tennessee, USA. The tax, under a law passed in Tennessee in January 2005, is applied to illegal substances, including cocaine, marijuana, and others. Drug dealers are required to pay anonymously at state fundwhere they receive a stamp to prove they have paid tax in the event of an arrest. If a drug dealer is arrested without a seal, the state would tax him triple the size and heightened sanctions. 22 other states also have similar laws that tax not only drug dealers but also prostitutes.
2. An agricultural tax on farting was nearly introduced in New Zealand in 2003 to achieve 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 have been protests over the importance agriculture in New Zealand, and the Labor government ultimately abandoned its ridiculous idea of \u200b\u200btaxing cow farting
1. In the first place is the most ridiculous tax ever. Pecunia non olet (money doesn't smell). This phrase was born out of a tax imposed by the Roman emperors Nero and Vespasian in the 1st century on urine collection. The lower classes of Roman society urinated in pots that poured out cesspools. After that, the urine was collected, and it served as a valuable raw material for many chemical processes: the urine was used in tanning, by laundry workers as a source of ammonia to whitewash wool togas. There is even evidence that urine has been used as a dental bleach. When Vespasian's son Titus complained about the heinous nature of the tax, his father showed him gold coin and uttered his famous quote. This phrase is still used today to show that the purchasing power of money is independent of 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, this is how the state is maintained. Pensions are paid at the expense of taxes, medical treatment is provided, the army is supported. The state at all times tried to get maximum income from its citizens. And enterprising residents came up with more and more 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 appeared. We will tell below about the most unusual taxes in the history of civilization. Some of them have also greatly 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. This measure was not supported primarily by 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. And toilets, like the famous baths, were used not only for direct need, but also for the sake of meeting and conversations.
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 kreutzers was supposed. 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 kreutzers. Quite naturally, no one wanted to run after the birds, so an underground trade in dead sparrows arose in the country.
Shadow tax. Even intangible objects are subject to tax. An example of this was Venice, which recently introduced a shadow tax in 1993. According to this rule, all establishments, whose shadow from tents and umbrellas falls on the city land, are obliged 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. It's a shame to be a coward, and sometimes it's not profitable! Indeed, at the beginning of the 12th century, a cowardice tax was introduced in England. According to him, 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 not large, but there were probably so many willing to pay, and so few to fight, that King John increased the tax 3 times at once. In addition, the ruler began to take money from the knights, even in peacetime. As a result, the tax outraged the population so much that it became one of the reasons for the emergence of the Magna Carta.
Tax on hats. Today it is difficult to expect that such a tax would be profitable. But there were times when the state counted on these receipts. This happened in England from 1784 to 1811. After all, it was in her that every man wore a bowler hat or top hat, regardless of his social status and wealth. The tax worked especially 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, Peter the Great introduced it to Russia in 1689. The tsar 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 different clothes, then a fine was imposed on him for each violation. The bankrupt bearded men were even sent to hard labor for their debts to the state.
Drug tax. This tax, among other things, is among the most meaningless. There is an organization in America called the Internal Revenue Service that serves as our tax office... This service officially requires that illegal drug proceeds be declared. For this, even line number 21 in the form 1040 is highlighted. It remains only to find a conscientious dealer who is admitted to violating the laws only in order to pay the taxes due.
Freedom tax. In the world of slavery, such a tax was natural. It originated in ancient Rome. There, a free tax (manumission) was paid upon the release of a slave. Sometimes the amount was paid by the owner himself, it was believed that he was rich enough, setting the slave free. But in most cases, the tax was paid by the slave himself. One can imagine the chagrin of the former slave who paid the master for his release and learned that now he must pay Rome for it too.
Tax on dissidents. This tax is the dream of modern politicians. After all, he allowed dissenters to be forced to pay for their opinions. As a result, dissidents either changed their point of view or were simply deprived of their livelihoods. History has set 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 the king's supporters who threatened the country. The collected money made it possible to create a people's militia, which guarded the country from the militant royalists. But people do not always see where their money is spent.
Life tax. And there is no way to refuse such a tax at all, any tax officer dreams of this! After all, everyone will have to pay, regardless of income, age or occupation. Once the English rulers decided that people should pay only because they live in this world. This is how the tax on life came into being. The inhabitants of England began to pay according to this 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 the Nobel Prize laureates who received it for their achievements in politics, science and literature do not pay tax on this, then you are mistaken. Since 1986, this prize has come under the category of monetary gifts, and 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 left. The state may also offer assistance to a specific college or school.
Foreigners tax. In our time, such a tax is no longer considered strange, but it is considered quite normal. Any foreigner must pay the state for the fact of his stay in it. Meanwhile, such taxes have long been out of fashion - they existed in different states until the XX century. So, in Canada until 1923 there was a tax on the Chinese! Why exactly on them? In those days, many former citizens of the Celestial Empire came to Canada, which led to the introduction of a tax that regularly replenished the country's treasury. As a result, the tax was canceled in 1923, but not at all out 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. The English rulers loved to invent all new types of taxes. Everything that moves and breathes has already paid money. The population could not resignedly look at this, hiding tax objects either under the floor, or in the chimney. The state decided to fight this outrage 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 then the population began to cheat - people began to disassemble their pipes and use neighboring ones. The use of one common pipe for several rooms has come into vogue. But after a series of major fires in London in the 1680s, the tax was canceled.
Tax on windows. 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, brick windows appeared in some buildings of that period. In those days, the production of glass was quite expensive. 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 come, like other ordinary similar laws. In those days, the wealthiest people used such a tax to differentiate themselves from middle-income people. A castle was purchased or vacation home, whose architecture meant 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, which became the basis of the current city tax. Experts say that the expression "daylight theft" 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, 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 in order to pay a ransom for the Danish Vikings to live in peace. In fact, Denmark has taxed the residents of another state. A very unusual form of racketeering! This tax existed for almost 200 years - until 1194. By that time, the money had not gone to Denmark for a long time, staying in the country and going to buy weapons and build fortresses.
Salt tax. It would seem, what is unusual about such a tax? However, the story goes that this tax led to massive events. Thus, the tax on salt led the Chinese Empire to decline, in France, it significantly accelerated the development of the French Revolution. The existence of the tax in India provoked massive demonstrations, and Mahatma Gandhi also took part in them. Should we be surprised at the indignation of the Indians, because England has set the tax rate at 4000%! He brought the country's treasury 5% of all income.
Watch tax. Another interesting tax was introduced by the British in 1797. This time, the state treasury was replenished by the owners of the watches. The tax lasted only 1 year, but during that time each owner of the watch paid the country 5 shillings.
Tax for the right to ride a bicycle. In March 1910, the Simbirsk City Duma adopted a decree according to which each bicycle owner had to pay 50 kopecks to the city treasury. Cyclists, on the other hand, were given a booklet that detailed the rules for riding. Thus, it was forbidden to ride on sidewalks, parks and gardens, as well as to move in large groups around the city. In addition, each bicycle owner had to equip his own vehicle license plate.
Eye tax. Under Peter I, citizens paid not only for beards, but also for eyes. The tax was introduced at the beginning of the 18th century in Bashkiria. People paid the state according to the color of their eyes. So, for blacks the treasury received 3 altyns, and for gray - already 8.
Gypsum tax. There are a lot of people who like skiing in the Alps. As a result, annually 150 thousand people receive various injuries, and the cost of their treatment exceeds a billion shillings. So we decided to help their clinics in Austria. Now skiers pay a gypsum tax on every descent, which is passed on to local medical institutions.
At all times, since the formation of the first states, the authorities tried to introduce taxes, due to 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 out over common sense.
We invite you to learn about taxes that can be safely called strange.
Gypsum Tax (Austria)
Austria is known for its ski resorts, where hundreds of thousands of tourists come every year. Most of these people don't just come for a portion. fresh airbut also for extreme sensations. The Austrian government considered that the medical insurance that every tourist entering the country has not fully covers 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 pay off the costs of plaster cast, if the tourist suddenly breaks any part of the body.
Prostitution Tax (Holland)
At some point, the news from Holland ceased to shock 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 selling their bodies show their charms. The government claims that in this way it was able to collect a budget that will be used to pay for additional patrols in neighborhoods where prostitution is widespread. Sex workers are categorically against the new tax and intend to defend their case in court.
Sparrow Tax (Germany)
The sparrow tax was invented in one of the cities of Germany in the 16th century. Local authorities did not find a better explanation for the unexpected fundraising than that poor birds chirp too loudly and interfere with sleep. Every resident of Württemberg had the opportunity to avoid paying taxes by killing a dozen sparrows, for which he also received 6 kreutzers. If the owner of the house did not hand over the bodies of the dead birds by the due date, then he had to replenish the state treasury by 12 kreutzers. The laziest residents of the city bought dead birds from underground vendors.
Peace Tax (Republic of Guinea)
Back in the 11th century in England, knights had to pay the state funds for all the time that the country did not participate in the war. This tax existed for about 300 years, then it was replaced by another one, which allows replenishing the treasury at the expense of troops. Nowadays, 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 live below the poverty line, the authorities continue to collect fixed amount from all people.
Cow Farts Tax (Estonia)
In 2008, the Estonian authorities introduced a tax on methane emissions from cows, which pollute the air. Tax was imposed only on those farms where there are cows. Farmers raising chickens, pigs or other animals were free 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 most persistent environmental pollutants.
Sun tax (Balearic Islands)
The sun tax 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 to stay in the sun on a foreign land. The authorities say that all the funds raised are being spent on improving the infrastructure of resort areas, cleaning beaches and restoring the ecological balance of the environment.
Hats 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 life without a headdress. The only difference was that the rich gentleman had several types of hats, for which the tax had to be paid higher than the poor man with only one headdress.
Barbecue Tax (Belgium)
Residents of the Belgian region of Wallonia have to pay tax on the use of grills since 2007. It can be assumed for a long time, in connection with which the authorities decided to introduce just such a tax, but it is unlikely that it will be possible 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 person from Wallonia lights up a charcoal grill, a large amount of carbon dioxide is emitted 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.
US Tattoo and Piercing Tax
A person who decides to pierce any part of the body or get a tattoo in the US state of Arkansas must stock up on additional funds. There is a body modification tax at this location and an Arkansas resident must pay 6% of the amount of the procedure that will be provided. The authorities say that in this way they are fighting the 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 precisely, the government considered that there is too much dust in the country's courtyards, and organizations that monitor cleanliness are not coping. The official appeal to the citizens of Armenia reads: "After discussing the issue of removing excess dust in the courtyards by sanitary-cleaning organizations, the Ministry of Economy decided: the population should pay the cost of removing dust 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 in effect to this day. Every owner of a shop or cafe, whose shadow falls on municipal land, must replenish the state treasury. Many owners dismantled the facades of buildings to get rid of 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)
Civil marriage today is not a surprise to anyone. 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 relations and announced a tax that applies to couples in love. Now cohabitation without formalization of the relationship costs one thousand yuan a year.
Cowardice Tax (England)
The cowardice tax was levied on knights or citizens liable for military service in the event that, for some reason, they did not want to take part in wars for their country. In fact, such a tax was an official bribe and gave the coward an opportunity to pay off all the dangers that might await him in a war.
Consciousness Extender Tax (USA)
Paradoxically, in 2005, the US state of Tennessee introduced a tax on psychotropic substances. Authorities are offering drug traffickers anonymous payments of certain sum of money for the opportunity to distribute your product. In the event that a drug dealer is arrested, he can present receipts showing the timely payment of taxes, which will allow the drug dealer to defend himself in court.
Disposable Chopsticks Tax (China)
All lovers of Asian cuisine know what they use disposable wooden sticks for. What can we say about the inhabitants of China, who unanimously give preference to this simple and ingenious invention at a meal. Few Chinese food lovers have thought about how many trees are cut down so that a person, using chopsticks only once, throws them out. The Chinese authorities not only thought about this issue, but also introduced a tax on the use of disposable chopsticks. Now Chinese residents have to pay 5% on the sale of each pair of wooden sticks to the state treasury.
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Since ancient times, people have been paying taxes to the state treasury. Thanks to this, the state apparatus can fully work and provide for the various needs of citizens.
This article contains the most unusual taxes in the world. Some of them will simply blow your imagination.
By the way, if you like unusual interesting Facts, then we recommend to pay attention to the heading "". Very interesting!
Life tax
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 tried 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.
Consequently, in 1831 there was an uprising in the country known as the Wat Tyler Rebellion.
Freedom 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.
So, according to the laws Ancient Rome, the tax on freedom 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 to his master, but also to the state.
Air tax
Surely you all remember the ingenious 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 reality.
In the Byzantine Empire, it was believed that the air should belong to all citizens. Therefore, 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 tax to the state for consuming more air than others.
Cowardice tax
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 buy off their military service.
Then the English king increased the tax 3 times, and began to levy it even in peacetime. Such decrees angered the people, as a result of which, in June 1215, the famous Charter of Liberties appeared.
Hat tax
In the modern world, a person can wear any headdress, but in 17th century England one had to pay for such a luxury. City dwellers 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 Roman people. When the emperor's son found out about such a tax, he did not support his father's idea.
Then Vespasian brought the proceeds to his son's nose to ask if money smelled. And when his son answered in the negative, Vespasian said: "But this money comes from urine."
As a result, the expression "Money doesn't smell" became.
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 the beard tax in order to instill European culture in the boyars. However, those who continued to wear beards had to pay for their "luxury."
According to this tax, a peasant could wear a beard in his village, but leaving for the city, he had to pay 1 kopeck to the treasury.
Also, bearded men were required to wear special zipuns with a high collar. If they didn't, they had to pay for it too.
Even Peter I introduced a tax on home baths and a tax on non-working capital. The autocrat believed that any capital should be in circulation and bring profit to the state.
In 1941, the childlessness tax was introduced in the Soviet Union. 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 indigenous Bashkirs have black eyes, so they paid the minimum tax.
However, those citizens who had green or gray eyes at birth had to pay more.
The most taxed.
The most unusual tax in the modern world
The question of which tax is considered the most unusual today is quite difficult to answer. After all, today all over the world there are a huge number of ridiculous taxes.
This list includes a tax on mind extenders. It was introduced to America in Tennessee in 2005.
According to this law, every drug dealer 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 corresponding tax.
This, in turn, will allow him to have extenuating circumstances during the trial.
US dollars 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 transactions with dollar bills... This measure affected exclusively the American currency.
Noise tax
In 1980, a noise tax was introduced at the Swiss airports in Geneva and Zurich. Each plane taking off was subject to a fee for making noise.
Peace tax
There is a peace tax in Guinea. 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 led the way for the most bizarre and unusual taxes. Citizens were obliged to pay taxes for weddings, having children, singing songs, and even ringing 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.
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