The most unusual taxes in the world. The strangest taxes in the world
There is a well-known expression that in this world there are only two things: death and taxes. We die once, and pay taxes again and again. In most cases, we are even required to pay several taxes at once.
In some countries there are strange taxes that go as far as absurdity, and we will meet some of them today.
Uganda introduced a social media tax on June 1, 2018. A very controversial tax requires citizens to use social networking sites and applications such as Whatsapp, Facebook and Twitter, paying a tax of 200 shillings ($ 0.05) per day of use. Citizens are not required to pay tax on days when they do not use applications or sites.
Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda, said the tax is necessary to counter the threat of gossip on social networks, the money received from the tax, according to the president. allow the nation to "cope with the consequences of gossip."
The tax is not popular in Uganda, where citizens accuse the government of infringing on their freedom of expression. The introduction of this tax is not the first time that Museveni has hit social networks. In 2016, he suspended access to all social networking sites during the election due to allegations that people used them to spread lies.
Tanzania. Blog Taxes
If you want to blog in Tanzania, pay a tax to the government - $ 400 a year and there will be no problems.
Thanks to the new law adopted in accordance with the Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Rules of March 16, 2018, the Tanzanian government requires all creators of online content to obtain a license and pay an annual tax.
The law applies not only to bloggers, although they are the most vulnerable. This also applies to users of social networks, members of an online forum, creators of videos and podcasts, online radio and television, and subscribers to online content.
In addition to tax, bloggers and creators of Internet content are also required to register and not post offensive content such as pornography, nudity, violence, hate speech, fake news, and content that contains “foul language” or may be annoying.
The initial registration fee is 100,000 Tanzanian shillings (44 US dollars). After that, bloggers and online content developers will pay a license fee of one million Tanzanian shillings ($ 440), starting from the year in which they received the license.
The license is renewed every year. Otherwise - a fine of at least five million Tanzanian shillings (about 2,500 US dollars) or 12 months in prison.
Switzerland. Dog Tax
Do you live in Switzerland and own a dog? You need to pay an annual tax on your dog, or your dog may be shot. The tax does not have a fixed rate and depends on the size of the animal. Depending on the municipality, drivers and rescue dogs may be exempted or eligible for a reduced tax.
As expected with any tax, people sometimes do not pay. To ensure order, the village of Reconville, containing 280 dogs, threatened to shoot any dog \u200b\u200bwhose owner refused to pay tax. At that time, the tax in the municipality averaged $ 48.50 per year.
The threat of killing dogs is legally fixed. The 1904 Act effectively allowed the government to kill dogs, owners who refused to pay tax. Dogs were killed from that time until the 1960s, when the law was relaxed.
Germany. Religion tax
It is expected that Catholic and Protestant Germans will pay a certain tax on their income to finance churches. The tax is 8-9 percent of their capital gains (profit from the sale of assets). It is collected by the government and transferred to their churches. This creates significant income for both churches in the country, as 30.8 percent (24.7 million) of its citizens are Catholics, and 30.3 percent (24.3 million) are Protestants.
The only way to avoid paying tax is to officially leave the church. However, this is due to some disadvantages. Any German who officially leaves the Catholic or Protestant church automatically loses some benefits, including the right to religious burial, the use of state-funded day cares, or access to all church-owned and some public schools.
In addition, Catholics who have not paid taxes cannot attend churches or receive communion. They are also denied the anointing and sacrament of the sick, if they are not close to death.
However, some Germans are prepared to lose these benefits in order to avoid paying tax. More than 100,000 Germans officially leave each of the churches every year. In 2014, this figure almost reached 200,000 in each church after the government closed a loophole that allowed citizens to avoid tax because they did not have to report their capital gains.
Venezuela. Breath tax
Venezuela does not actually impose taxes on respiration per se. However, it introduced a special “breathing tax” of 127 bolivars ($ 20) for passengers departing from Michelia International Airport in Caracas. The government said a tax is needed to offset the cost of a newly installed airport air filtration system.
According to the Ministry of Water and Air Transport, the air filtration system sanitizes and deodorizes the airport and stops the growth of bacteria, thereby protecting the health of all passengers.
France. Taxes on smartphones and tablets
In 2013, France was considering introducing a special tax on smartphones and tablets. The tax, which will be 1 percent of the cost of the device, will be used to finance the creation of French films, music and paintings. The tax is based on the cultural exclusion policy that was introduced in 1993. According to this policy, French broadcasters had to pay a cultural tax to finance and promote French cultural projects.
However, with the spread of the Internet, many broadcasters circumvent traditional media to reach their audience. This meant that they did not pay the tax, which was intended to protect French culture from the influence of American films.
The proposed tax was included in the budget law, which the French parliament was due to consider in November 2013. However, the law was not adopted.
USA, Taxes on bribes, stolen goods and other illegal proceeds
Are you a U.S. citizen with illegal income? Or did you receive a one-time bribe? U.S. federal law requires you to pay tax.
The United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires everyone who receives a bribe to report this as part of their income and pay the applicable tax. The IRS also requires you to report the proceeds of illegal activities such as drug trafficking and pay the appropriate tax.
In case of theft, the thief is expected to pay the appropriate tax on the current market value of the stolen goods. A thief is exempted from tax only if he returns the stolen property in the same year that he stole it.
Romania, taxes on witchcraft and fortune telling
Witchcraft and fortune telling is a big business in Romania, where many people still believe in superstition. This business was not recognized by the government and was not taxed, but this changed when the Romanian economy was in a state of recession (recession).
To get more money, the government imposed taxes on several professions that were not previously taxed. This included sorcerers, fortunetellers, astrologers, as well as less dubious professions, such as a diving instructor, embalming.
Under the new law, they all had to pay 16 percent of their income in tax.
The tax divided the witches of Romania into two camps. Some consider this an official recognition of their work, while others disagree. They were hostile to the new tax and threatened to cast spells on the government. The witches warned that they were gathering on the top of the Danube River and throwing a mandrake conspiracy into the water to curse the politicians who had accepted this tax.
USA. Marijuana Tax
The legalization of marijuana remains a matter of contention in the United States. Medical marijuana, which you can only buy with a doctor’s prescription, is legal in 29 states and Washington, DC, while recreational marijuana, which you take for pleasure and don’t need a doctor’s prescription to buy, is legal in nine states and Washington DC However, the U.S. federal government considers marijuana to be an illegal item, despite conflicting state laws.
Germany. Tax on television and radio
In the 1970s, Germany introduced a special tax on citizens who own radio stations and televisions. It is about $ 20 per month and is used to finance state television and radio networks. The tax caused civil unrest in 2013, when the government demanded that everyone pay, even if they did not have television or radio.
Many Germans protested against this tax, and some even sued Beitreggsservice, which levied a tax on the part of the government. Beitragsservice resorted to threats of fines and imprisonment. Germans protesting the tax called Beitragggservice “GEZ-stapo”, a pun on the GEZ (tax name) and Gestapo of the Nazi era. On the other hand, German state-run media called the protesters rebels of the GEZ
As long as human society exists, perhaps as many taxes exist. Unfortunately for taxpayers, it is impossible to do without them. But sometimes the taxes introduced in different countries are so absurd that a child’s fairy tale about Chipollino immediately comes to mind, where they took the tax on air and rainfall ...
We present to your attention interesting facts about the most stupid and strange taxes in the world.
Belly Dance Tax (Egypt)
Belly dance is a highlight of oriental dancers, for many centuries invariably attracting the attention of men. Egyptian dancers have always earned this, and not bad. In the Middle Ages, they paid tribute to the city treasury, this was until the 19th century, when public belly dancing was prohibited. In recent decades, dancing has become very popular again, especially given the influx of tourists from Russia and European countries into Egypt. Now every dancer is required to pay tax (depending on income). At the expense of these fees, the state treasury is replenished by four hundred million dollars annually.
Salt Tax (France)
This tax was levied on all French citizens over 8 years old (this was from 1286 to 1790). Even if people did not want this, they were required to buy a certain amount of salt at a fairly high price once a week. Simply put, they should not only cover the state’s expenses for the purchase of salt, but also give to the treasury income from the salt tax.
Childless Tax (Russia)
It was introduced in 1941 (the people called it “egg tax”) - 6% of earnings. It was paid by men who did not have children (from 18 to 50 years old) and married childless women (from 18 to 45 years old). The exception was those who, for medical reasons, could not have children, who had lost a child, Heroes of the Soviet Union, military personnel, also a certain discount was offered for students under 25 years of age.
Fart Pet Tax
For ten years now, they have been trying to tax New Zealand farmers with this tax. Authorities say that farting domestic cattle at times increases the greenhouse effect, so you need to conduct research on this topic, trying to find a way in which farting animals will emit less methane. The money for this research should have been collected from the fart tax. Lawmakers have estimated that more than six million dollars a year can be raised. But the farmers were so outraged by this that numerous demonstrations took place across the country. People led cows next to them, on the necks of which were inscriptions "Innocent." The government set a condition for farmers: either they offer a good research support program, or a tax will nevertheless be introduced. Similar passions boil in Estonia
Tax on cowardice (England)
Medieval states often fought among themselves, and the number of people wishing to fight was constantly decreasing. Therefore, in the 12th century, a tax on cowardice was introduced in England, when any adult man who does not want to go to war must pay a tax. At first, the amount was not large, this led to the knights realizing that it was easier to pay than to die for the glory of the king. Then the collection amount was increased three times and began to be charged not only during military campaigns, but also in peacetime.
Bath tax (Russia)
It was introduced in 1704 by Peter the Great. Rich nobles and merchants with bath houses paid 3 rubles, ordinary nobles and merchants paid 1 ruble, and peasants, soldiers, laundresses, etc. - 15 kopecks. Those who did not want to pay were not allowed to wash themselves.
Dental Grinding Tax
He was taken in the medieval Ottoman Empire by officials and tax collectors who traveled to all the settlements of the country. Naturally, the poor could not treat them with dainties, but fed cheap peasant food, which, of course, was not to the liking of these statesmen. They said that their teeth deteriorate from rough and half-baked food, and so the so-called “tooth tax” was introduced, which was paid monthly by all the inhabitants of the empire. Funds went to the treatment of corrupt teeth officials.
Ear and Nose Tax (Tibet)
In 1920, in Tibet, for military purposes, a tax on ears was introduced - a silver coin for every human ear and ear of livestock. If someone didn’t want to pay, his ear was cut off. No ear - no problem. After some time, a tax was introduced - a tax on the nose: the longer a person has a nose, the greater the amount of tax.
Eye color tax (Bashkiria)
In Bashkiria of the 18th century, they sought to maintain the purity of the nation in a very peculiar way - they introduced a tax on eye color. Purebred Bashkirs have black eyes, so they took the smallest amount - two altyns. Further, the brighter the eyes, the larger the sum: for gray eyes - seven altyns, for blue and green - thirteen altyns.
Dust Tax (Armenia)
At the end of the last century, the Armenian government decided that citizens should contribute to the fight against dust on the streets. Therefore, they must pay a dust tax in the amount of two drams (Armenian currency) per 1 sq.m of territory.
Unsolved Assassination Tax (Germany)
Obviously, in medieval Germany in this way they tried to make those who were responsible for the investigation of crimes (or rather, the head of the community) work. The more unsolved murders, the greater the amount of tax.
Shadow Tax (Venice)
At the end of the last century, a tax on shadow was introduced in Venice, they were taxed by the owners of establishments from which the shadow fell on state land. Someone in a hurry removed the sunshades and umbrellas, wanting to reduce the amount of tax, and someone left them, if only the customers were satisfied. Surprisingly, the tax is taken not only on clear days, but also in rainy weather.
Chopstick tax (China)
Chopsticks appeared in China about 3 million years ago, now a third of the population uses these disposable cutlery. About 45 million pairs of them are emitted annually, for the manufacture of which 25 million trees are cut. To help reforestation, a chopstick tax was introduced that is paid when they are purchased (5% of the chopstick price).
Sun Tax (Balearic Islands)
Residents of the islands do not pay this tax, they are taxed by all tourists who have arrived in the country ($ 1 per person). The funds raised (about $ 10 million a year) are spent on improving hotels, beaches and garbage collection.
Taxes are misfortunes for all of us. An old English proverb says: “There is nothing more definite than death and taxes.”. Governments (and not only democratic ones) seem to find the most trifling things that can be taxed, especially they adore various activities and goods.
In some countries they even want to introduce a tax on the use of the Internet. The British, for example, pay a tax on television, but, fortunately, if you are blind, they will double this tax for you. We invite you to find out about the most curious and sometimes ridiculous taxes that have ever been collected.
1) Card tax
A card tax is just an example of how people could be taxed for something very popular and a lot of fun. In the 16-17th centuries, they were an incredibly popular game after dinner (not surprising, because then there was no TV and computer games). Therefore, the King of England, Jacob I, understood how money can easily be lured out of people.
The tax on cards, as well as bizarre images with the manufacturer's logo on Ace of Spades, appeared precisely at the time of this English monarch, who ruled at the beginning of the 17th century. He issued a law that required special badges to appear on cards that proved that tax had been paid. Until August 4, 1960, a deck of cards printed and sold in the UK was taxed, and Ace of Peaks also showed off the manufacturer’s name and the stamp that the tax had been paid.
2) Sweets tax
In September 2009, in the state of Illinois, it was decided to establish a tax on which was more than a tax on other food products. Illinois Department of Taxes carefully explained that “If the product contains flour, it must be frozen”, that is, it is not a sweetness and it will not be taxed.
In this situation, according to the law, raisins coated with yogurt are sweet, and drying covered with yogurt is an unsweetened product. Or Snickers is a sweet, but Twix is \u200b\u200bnot.
3) Athlete income tax
In the US, tax is paid by those who come to a foreign city or state and earn money there. Since the state government cannot afford to track all the people who do business in a foreign area, it mainly focuses on very rich and famous people, in particular, professional athletes.
Well-known athletes are forced not only to show the public their work schedule, but also not to hide their income from anyone. The state collects this data, spending a minimum of time, effort and money, and receives very decent amounts.
4) Tax on cowardice
The cowardice tax (known as exemption from military service) was a special tax levied on people who did not want to fight for the king, which was considered cowardice. This tax existed in England during the reign of King Henry I (1100-1135) and was initially relatively low, but King John (John) Landless raised it by 300 percent and began to remove it from all knights in those years when there were no wars .
This partially led to the emergence of the Liberty Charter. The cowardice tax lasted about 300 years and was then replaced by other means of replenishing the treasury at the expense of the troops.
5) Hat tax
A hat tax was levied by the British government from 1784 to 1811, with men only. The tax was introduced by Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger and was an easy way to raise money for the treasury in a crude way according to the relative incomes of individuals. That is, it was assumed that richer people would have more expensive hats when, as the poor, they would have only one cheap hat, or go without it at all.
The hat tax required retailers to purchase a license, which cost London 2 pounds and 5 shillings in other areas of the country. Everyone paid taxes - from producers to consumers, and huge fines were levied on evading them. The death penalty was promised to those who forged stamps on the payment of hat tax.
6) Window tax
The window tax was a significant social, cultural and architectural force in the kingdoms of England, Scotland, and then in Britain in the 17-18 centuries. You may notice that some of the windows in some buildings built in those days are bricked up. This was due to taxes.
This tax has been introduced as part of Act of Good Deeds and Cash Deficit in 1696 under King William III, and was established in accordance with the relative wealth of the taxpayer, and he had no relation to income tax.
When this tax was introduced, it consisted of 2 parts: a flat rate of 2 shillings for a house and a non-fixed tax for the number of windows in it, starting from 10 pieces and above. In this case, very wealthy families could differ from moderately wealthy families in that they could afford to have houses with as many windows as possible. Surprisingly, this tax lasted until 1851.
7) Beard tax
In 1535, King Henry VIII of England, who himself wore a beard, introduced a tax on beards. The tax turned out to be a progressive tax and depended on the social status of the taxpayer. His daughter, Elizabeth I, again paid this tax, and they only taxed 2-week-old beards. The same tax appeared in Russia, but for a different reason: it was levied primarily in order to replenish the treasury, but since the tsar believed that bearded people look like savages. How else to make people shave?
Peter I introduced the tax on beards in Russia in 1705. Those who paid the tax needed to wear a special Beard sign - a copper or silver badge with a Russian eagle on one and the other side and the image of the lower part of the face with a beard.
8) Drug tax
This tax was levied on people for illegal drug possession in Tennessee, USA. He was introduced General Assembly of Tennessee in January 2005 and charged to those who store drugs such as cocaine, marijuana or hallucinogenic mushrooms.
Drug dealers must anonymously pay taxes to the state tax and duty office, where they are given a stamp proving that they have paid the tax. If a drug dealer is arrested without such a seal, he will have to pay a fine.
9) Tax on a bunch
Agricultural emission research fee (often called “gas tax” or “tax on”) is a tax proposed in New Zealand in 2003 as an addition to Kyoto Protocol. This tax is associated with the release by farm animals of methane, gas, which in New Zealand accounts for 50 percent of all other greenhouse gases.
Needless to say, how important agriculture is to New Zealand is why this tax was ultimately rejected by the government, because the very idea of \u200b\u200btaxing a cow bunch seemed too ridiculous.
10) Urine tax
Pecunia non olet - “Money Doesn't Smell”. This phrase appeared as a result of a urine tax, which was paid during the time of the Roman emperors Nero and Vespasian in the 1st century AD. Representatives of the lower classes of Roman society wrote in pots that were emptied into special sewage pits. All the liquid was collected from public latrines and ... used for various purposes, as a valuable raw material.
For example, it was used for tanning, and it was also a source of ammonia, which helped clean and bleach woolen clothes. There were even reports that the contents of the toilets were used to whiten teeth. When the son of Vespasian Titus began to complain about the disgusting nature of this tax, his father showed him gold coins and uttered the famous phrase. This expression is still in use. Also, the name Vespasian is still associated with public restrooms in France (vespasienne), in Italy (vespasiani) and in Romania (vespasiene).
Now you know more :)
Wealth tax (France) The Constitutional Council of France approved the introduction of a “luxury tax” of 75% on income over 1 million euros. Many rich people immediately changed their citizenship. The famous actor Gerard Depardieu decided that it was cheaper for him to be Russian and received Russian citizenship.
The most terrible tax (Pakistan) The most terrible tax in history has been levied for 21 years by Ranjit Singh (1780–1839), the conqueror of Peshawar (Pakistan). The tax consisted of hundreds of cut off human heads per year.
Tax eunuchs (Persia) According to historians, the Persian emperor Darius III took taxes eunuchs. Indeed, the form of taxation is truly predetermined by the needs of the era.
Tax on the poor in the country of the Incas (Tauantinsuyu) In the Inca state of Tauantinsuyu, located on the territory of Ancient America at the beginning of the 16th century, tax collectors levied several lice from feeble and especially poor payers.
Tax on Jewish appearance (Ancient Rome) In addition to the general collection and collection for the right to use the dwelling, the inhabitants of the Jewish province also had to pay for the right to have the dwelling itself. In addition, at the entrance or entry into a large city, persons with a Jewish appearance were charged with several sisters.
Air Tax (Byzantium) In Byzantium, air was taxed. It was believed that the air belongs to everyone and everyone separately. And if small houses do not pose a threat of air starvation, the construction of large chorus deprives people of this natural gift in many ways, as large and voluminous residential buildings take in more air. Thus, the owners living in these buildings, as it were, usurp the air, depriving other citizens of the right to use it. The amount of such tax was directly proportional to the size of the building.
Unsolved murder tax (Germany) In the medieval era, there was a murder tax in Germany, however, it was paid, of course, not by the murderer, but by the head of the community - landogt. The size of the tax determined the number of murders not disclosed for a specific period (usually six months) in a given community.
Family Seal Tax (Germany) In Germany, in 1800 it was possible to order a family seal with a bust of Emperor Francis II as a hilt, but an additional tax was levied for this - about 10 marks per year.
Sparrow tax (Germany) In the 16th century, a tax on sparrows was invented in the German city of Württemberg. It was believed that voiced birdies prevented the population from living quietly. The owner of each house was required to destroy a dozen sparrows, for which he received 6 cruisers. If the task was not completed, they demanded to pay twice as much to the treasury. The laziest citizens even bought the right amount of dead sparrows from clandestine merchants.
Tax on bribes (island of Java) In the XVIII century, the island of Java, which is now part of Indonesia, was in colonial dependence on the Netherlands. The metropolis has introduced the so-called tax on bribes. Corruption was a popular way of “sustaining” colonial administration. Appointment to any position on this island provided the lucky fortune with a comfortable life. True, for such an appointment, a person had to pay a substantial amount. For example, a junior merchant gave 3500 guilders per post with a salary of 40 guilders per month: as a result, his annual income due to various frauds reached 40 thousand guilders. The governor-general of the island, whose official salary was 700 guilders, did not remain unladen. For the year, the people who occupied this bread place earned up to 10 million guilders.
Window tax (Holland, England) A unique window tax was also invented in Holland. The more windows there were in the house, the larger the tax. Three windows were taxed at an average price, but if there were four or five, the tax was double or triple. In Amsterdam, a building has survived, the width of which barely exceeds a meter. And the rest of the houses in the country of tulips are extremely narrow. The owners of such buildings had fewer windows and significantly reduced the tax base for this tax. The peculiar architecture of Holland became an occasion for the Soviet poet Samuel Marshak to write several poetic lines in this poem in the poem “In the Homeland of Burns”. The same tax was introduced in England in 1695. This led to the fact that many residents of foggy Albion simply bricked their windows. Interestingly, this tax was canceled only in 1851.
A tax on abraded teeth (Ottoman Empire) In the Ottoman Empire, a tax on abrasive bureaucratic teeth was introduced. Pasha officials did not want to put up with the fact that local residents always feed them with poor-quality, tough and undercooked food. Reception of such pickles, without any doubt, led to tooth decay and early caries. Therefore, it was decided to force the population to make monthly payments that were intended to mend the teeth of statesmen.
Blood Tax (Ottoman Empire) From the 2nd half of the 14th century, the backbone of the Ottoman Empire began to be the Janissaries (from the Turkish new army). They were recruited from the peoples conquered by the Turks, who were obliged to pay the so-called “blood tax”, in other words, to give up boys from their families to be raised by Muslims. From the earliest years, they, who did not know their parents, and, moreover, did not have the right to marry, were completely devoted to the Sultan and their duty. Their best friend was a scimitar - a sword laying the enemy in place, and his family - comrades in the barracks.
Crime tax - vira (Ancient Russia) At the beginning of the Middle Ages, crime taxes were introduced in many European countries. The very concept of traditional taxation has been replaced by the so-called "penalty tax." In fact, it has now become possible to buy off any crime committed in a guilty manner. So, the old Russian legal collection of the XIV – XV centuries. "Russian Truth" provided for a system of special taxes for virtually any crime. For example, for killing a free man in favor of the prince, a payment called vira was charged: for example, for killing a simple free man, 40 hryvnias were paid, for killing representatives of the princely administration - 80 hryvnias (20 hryvnias) were charged for serious injuries and for killing an unfaithful wife. When the killer was not known, the Raven community, in whose territory the murdered man was found, paid a wild virus.
Beard tax (Russia) The beard tax was introduced by Peter I and was canceled only in 1722. A special beard mark was also established, which was a metal badge, which was issued after paying a special fee for the right to wear a beard. Two inscriptions were stamped on the token: “Money was taken” on one side and “Beard is an extra burden” on the other. The duty was so great that those who wanted to keep their beard had to fork out a lot.
Bath tax (Russia) By decree of Peter I of 1704, thoughtful people and primary merchants were required to pay 3 rubles each from home baths, ordinary noblemen, merchants and all kinds of non-residents — 1 ruble each, peasants - 15 kopecks each. Either pay - or not wash.
Non-working capital tax (Russia) In the time of Peter the Great, capital that abstained from its right to increase turnover was revered by a parasite, depriving the treasury of its legal profits, a tenth of the money, 5% of the turnover tax, and prosecuted as smuggling subject to police seizure. In the early years of the Northern War, a Decree was issued prescribing: "Who will bury money in the land, and who will bring it about something and take it out, a third of that money to the scammer, and the rest to the sovereign." At the request of the appropriate institutions, all commercial and industrial inhabitants were required to declare their belongings, working capital, according to which there was a public tax layout. The denunciation then served as the main agent of state control, and he was greatly honored by the treasury.
Eye color tax (Bashkiria, 18th century) In the 18th century, eye color tax was introduced in Bashkiria. The darker the eyes of their happy owner were, the less he paid the tax. The fact is that, according to the then existing concepts, the primordial resident of Bashkiria, whose parents were also indigenous Bashkirs, undoubtedly should have had exclusively black eye color. Therefore, the lowest-rated eyes were black eyes. The payment for them was only 2 altyn. For gray eyes had to give seven altyns. For green and blue - ten and thirteen altyn respectively. The albinos were the hardest living in Bashkiria. So, probably, the Bashkirs fought for the purity of marriages.
Tax on rinsing clothes (Russia) At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a tax on rinsing clothes in the ice hole in the Altai Territory: 20 kopecks were charged for this during the winter. They also took 2 kopecks for each trip on the water with the rocker.
Tax on cinema (Russia) The new art form, cinema, which appeared at the beginning of the 20th century, did not bypass taxes. The first Russian feature film "The Siege of Sevastopol" (1911) was a resounding success not only among ordinary viewers, but also among the highest persons of the imperial house, and, apparently, this inspired the Russian emperor Nicholas II to ... immediately taxing the cinema.
Bicycle tax (Russia) In March 1910, by the decision of the City Council of Simbirsk, the bike owner was required to pay a tax of 50 kopecks to the city’s income for the right to drive around the city. The taxpayer was given a book of cycling rules. The rules forbade cyclists to ride along sidewalks, gardens and parks, to move around the city in large groups. The owner had to hang a license plate on the bike.
Straw Duty Tax (England) In England, over 20 years of the republic’s existence (under O. Cromwell (1599–1658)), up to 200 types of excise taxes were introduced, and various objects, such as oil boxes or even straw dust, were taxed.
Watch tax (UK) A watch tax was introduced in England in 1797. The payers were the owners of the watches. The owner of the watch was obliged to pay 5 shillings annually to the treasury. Canceled in 1798.
Canes tax (UK) In the 18th century, a cane tax was introduced in England. The rationale for the introduction of the tax was the statement by officials that the cane spoils the road surface, making them in perfect disrepair.
Hunting Hawk Ownership Tax (UK) In the UK, a hunting hawk ownership tax was levied at the beginning of the 19th century.
Tax on bachelors (USSR) On November 21, 1941, by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, a tax on bachelors, single and small-family citizens was introduced to mobilize additional funds to help mothers with many children. According to N. Khrushchev, "this is a correct, good law, it benefits our state, and contributes to the growth of the country's population." Despite its temporary nature, caused by the purely demographic problems of the USSR in the post-war period, this tax lasted until the beginning of the 90s. It is generally accepted that the tax on bachelors of the times of the Soviet state had no analogues in history and, except for the USSR, was established only in Mongolia. However, this is not quite true. Throughout history, many countries have tried through taxes to regulate the demographic situation. So, in ancient Sparta, the father of five children was generally freed from all state duties. In 1758, a law was passed in Maryland (USA) that men over 25 years of age, unmarried, and childless widowers of the same age pay a tax of 5 shillings if their property reaches 100 pounds, and 20 shillings if it reaches 300 pounds. The convention of revolutionary France imposed a double tax on bachelors. Mussolini in Italy, too, tried to impose a tribute to childless families and imposed a tax on "unjustified celibacy."
Gratuity Tax (U.S.) In the U.S., gratuities are treated as ordinary income, and those who receive gratuities pay tax on them. Waiters, hotel employees, taxi drivers, entertainers, hairdressers must submit a written report on the tip received to the tax office within 10 days after the end of the next month. Employees of small cafes, where it is not customary to leave a fee in the form of tips, are exempted from declaring this kind of income. It is necessary to observe tax discipline, since the tax authorities regularly conduct checks of the so-called diaries, in which service workers record the tip amount daily. For the absence of such a diary, fines are not punished, but they are not exempted from paying tax. If the taxpayer does not keep a tip, the tax is calculated by the inspector. In this case, the right to choose the calculation method remains with him. The basis is a certain industry average tip size. To determine the amount of additional income (or "reconstruction", as they say in the USA), the tax inspector also uses the results of conversations with the employee’s colleagues and the employer. However, no one guarantees that the amount of income will not be overstated, but the taxpayer himself is responsible for this. It is possible to appeal a wrongly calculated tax in court, but almost no one succeeds in winning such a case. The court adamantly stands on the side of the law and the interests of the state treasury.
Silicone Breast Tax (USA) American porn star Mary Carey participated in the California governor election, won by Arnold Schwarzenegger, and gained more than 10 thousand votes, which allowed her to enter the top ten list of 135 candidates. During the campaign, Mary Carey proposed introducing a silicone breast tax to cope with the budget deficit.
Espresso Tax (USA) The White House’s policy of cutting national taxes has led local authorities to “be creative” about taxation. Despite successes in the economy, some states are forced to introduce the most “ridiculous taxes”. Snowmobile tax has been introduced in Montana, trout fishing in New Mexico, and marriage in Massachusetts. Now, "under the hand" came the coffee capital of America - Seattle, which the Americans themselves call the "city crazy for caffeine." It is proposed to introduce a tax on espresso coffee, which is sold everywhere: at gas stations, in hospitals, in roadside cafes and in small specialized coffee houses. Residents say that imposing an espresso tax is the same as taxing the very soul of a city. The new tax is officially called Initiative 77. It was developed with the participation of the charity organizations Early Learning and Care Campaign and the Economic Opportunity Institute. According to the developers, the means by which the city budget will be replenished after a 10% increase in the price of espresso should go to finance problems of preschool education and support for children from poor families.
Smokers tax (Hungary) Hungarian smokers paid a special tax on the maintenance of fire brigades several years ago.
Tax on balloons and hang gliders (Ukraine) The Yalta City Hall decided that balloons and hang gliders, like high flying vehicles, just need to be taxed, and the patent of the owner-balloonist is 2 times more expensive than for owners of private cars moonlighting by private transportation. As the saying goes, "the bird is visible by" ... tax!
Dust tax (Armenia) To all available taxes in Armenia, another tax has been introduced - on ... dust. “Having discussed the issue of removing excess dust in the yards by sanitary-cleaning organizations, the Ministry of Economy decided: the population should pay the cost of dust removal at the rate of 1.91 dram per 1 square meter,” the official statement reads. On this occasion, Armenian newspapers cite the statement of one of the characters in the fairy tale “The Adventures of Cipollino” by Prince Lemon: “Since we introduced the air tax, you began to breathe less!”
Shadow Tax (Italy) Since 1993, a shadow tax has been levied in Venice. Sheds and umbrellas, which belong to shops and numerous cafes, from which the shadow falls on the communal property - land, fell under this tax.
Toilet tax (Italy) Also in Venice in 1999, an additional source of replenishment of the city budget was found: visiting tourists have to pay a fee of 1 thousand Italian liras for each visit to the public toilet. The Venetian pays half as much for entering the restroom - unless, of course, he prudently acquired a pass in advance. The pass can be purchased for three years in advance: then the pleasure of visiting public restrooms for three years costs only 6 thousand Italian liras. Considering that 10 million guests visit Venice annually, an additional source of income has been significant.
Taxes on tourism and on flowers (Kyrgyzstan) In accordance with the Tax Code of the Kyrgyz Republic the following are valid: - tax on tourists traveling to foreign countries; - a tax on citizens growing flowers in greenhouse conditions and selling them to the population.
Sin tax (China) In the summer of 1996, the authorities of the port city of Tianjin introduced a sin tax, according to which cohabitation without a marriage certificate costs the violators 1,000 yuan ($ 120).
Tax on prostitution (Holland) The Belgian capital authorities have introduced an annual tax on shop windows, followed by prostitutes waiting for customers in the Red Light District ($ 3,100 for each shop window). The “sex” tax will bring the budget 4 million francs, which will allow for additional patrols in this quarter. Sex workers said they would appeal the decision in court. But going to court will be more demonstrative. The action was launched mainly in order to draw public attention to gaps in the legislation on prostitution, because of which the "night butterflies" often become victims of police arbitrariness.
Gypsum tax (Austria) In Austria, skiers are required to pay a special gypsum tax every time they descend from the mountain, the funds from which are transferred to Austrian clinics. According to the most conservative estimates, in the Austrian Alps about 150 thousand skiers are injured annually, and about 1 billion shillings a year are spent on treatment.
Tax on ears and other unusual taxes (Tibet) In 1926, the Dalai Lama introduced a tax on ears in Tibet to maintain its army. Those who lost one ear in battle then felt lucky for the first time: they were supposed to pay only half the amount. In general, at the turn of the XIX – XX centuries. Tibet was the leader in the number of different extravagant taxes. Taxpayers had to pay taxes on weddings, on the birth of children, on the right to sing, dance, ring the bell and beat the drums. The tired traveler was not even allowed to take a nap on the grass: he had to pay a tax to the land owners for the night. In total, 1892 taxes were then levied in favor of the state!
Barbecue tax (Belgium) The government of the French-speaking region of Belgium - Wallonia, which has about 4 million inhabitants, has approved the introduction of a special barbecue tax. The tax has been introduced since June 2007. Its size is 20 euros, and the goal of its introduction, according to local media, is to combat climate change. According to experts, an average of 50 to 100 grams of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere during the grill process. Scientists believe that carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere are the main cause of global warming. The Walloon authorities intend to control compliance with the new tax legislation from the air. A helicopter equipped with a thermal camera capable of detecting heat sources will fly around the region in search of intruders.
Piracy tax (France, Germany) French musicians and film makers who lose part of their income because many people prefer to copy their “imperishable creations” rather than buying them in a store, will be able to return some of the money stolen from them. In January 2001, the French government introduced a special tax on blank CDs and video tapes, the proceeds of which will be transferred to the masters of culture. Taxes will also be imposed on computer hard drives and VCRs. The French followed the example of the German government, which imposed an “artistic tax” on everyone who buys new computers. The tax on each hard drive at that time was about 13 dollars. In France, a tax on tape recorders has existed for a long time, since the beginning of the 90s. 75% of the proceeds under this article are paid to singers, actors, etc. The remaining money is spent on developing new talents. Representatives of the French electronic industry condemn the "artistic tax" and threaten to go to court. In their opinion, government policy in this area hits the pockets of everyone, including the French, who are not involved in piracy.
Stink tax and methane emissions (New Zealand) In 2003, the New Zealand authorities proposed taxing stink and methane taxes on farmers. Lawmakers are confident that methane emissions from cows and other cattle contribute to the greenhouse effect, and are going to finance research on this topic with the money collected through tax. It is estimated that the stink tax will replenish the treasury by $ 6 million, and all of them will be spent on lowering methane emissions from domestic animals. About a thousand farmers took part in a protest demonstration that marched through the streets of Wellington's capital, right to the door of Parliament. Farmers were accompanied by cows and dogs, one of the cows with the Nevinovna banner on their necks went right up the steps of the building, and then an official spokesman drove up to the entrance and presented parliamentarians with a petition signed by 65 thousand farmers. Farmers call the tax "a tribute to the spoilage of air" and, of course, are not going to pay. Climate change minister Pete Hodgson went to the farmers and said that research should be done anyway - the only question is from which source the money will be found. He warned that if farmers do not submit a funding program to support research, a tax will be introduced. Negotiations between farmers and authorities are ongoing.
“Queen's shoe” tax (Spain) In Spain, in the Middle Ages, if a single king ascended the throne, a special tax was made for the “Queen's shoe”: he went to the royal wedding.
Tax on the sun (Spain) In Spain, on the Balearic Islands, where the resorts of Mallorca and Ibis are popular among Russian tourists, a new sun tax will be introduced for tourists coming on vacation in the near future. Thus, the authorities are going to improve the ecological situation on the islands. When the new legislation comes into force, tourists will pay one euro per day for staying in the hot sun of the Balearic Islands. It is expected that annually the tax on the sun will bring about $ 70 million. This money is supposed to be used to clean the beaches and coastal area from the garbage that tourists love to reserve.
Peace tax (Guinea) The peace tax is still withheld in the Republic of Guinea. Every year without a war, the state estimates 700 Belgian francs.
Chopstick tax (China) China announced plans to introduce a 5 percent tax on disposable chopsticks to limit wood consumption and protect the environment. According to representatives of the Ministry of Finance, about 2 million cubic meters of wood is spent annually on the production of 15 billion pairs of sticks, and this adversely affects the state of forests.
Noise tax (Switzerland) At the airports of Geneva and Zurich since 1980, every take-off airplane is subject to noise tax.
Flight Tax (France) In November 2005, the French authorities announced the introduction of a special flight tax. Now, the price of airline tickets will increase, because part of the money will be levied as taxes, the proceeds of which, according to the statement of the same government, will be used to assist developing countries in combating deadly diseases: AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, etc. Some European countries have already stated that they are also developing similar projects and are ready to join France in the near future.
Tax on US dollars (Cuba) In response to the toughening of US economic sanctions against Cuba, Fidel Castro introduced on November 14, 2004 a 10 percent tax on exchange transactions in cash US dollars. This measure did not affect the euro and other world currencies.
Easy Income Tax (Serbia) In 2001, the Serbian parliament passed a law introducing a special tax on the wealth acquired during the reign of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. The Serbian authorities plan to take from the owners, the total amount of property and money from which is 45 thousand dollars and above, from 30% to 90% of the accumulated. The new tax, dubbed the light income tax, applies to all property that the Serbs have been reckless to acquire since 1989, when Milosevic’s regime was established. Its maximum rate - 90% - threatens the richest, whose fortune exceeds $ 4.5 million. The lawmakers of Serbia, one of the poorest countries in Europe, thus want to return to the state the money stolen by Milosevic and his supporters. According to representatives of the Serbian authorities, under Milosevic there was a system of rewards for political partners, through which huge funds passed. Interior Minister Dushan Mikhailovich said that Milosevic created the “state mafia”, whose revenues exceeded that of the entire Yugoslavia, and the fighters were better armed than the army and police.
Wind Gust Tax (UK) In 1997, the British Parliament established a one-time payment for large businesses, called the “Windfall Tax” (the so-called wind gust tax). The meaning of the tax is for companies that receive too much benefit from the Thatcher privatization of 1980 to contribute to the state budget an amount equal to 23% of the difference between the value of property privatized in 1997 and its sale price in 1980. Thus, the British oligarchs shared with society the wealth that they "blew the wind."
Natural Disaster Tax (Haiti) Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier introduced a natural disaster tax. Twice a year, after spring and autumn rains, the government collects donations from Haitians and foreigners living in the country to deal with the effects of floods.
Solidarity tax (Germany) After the reunification of Germany, investments in the amount of about 2 trillion were needed to overcome the backwardness of the eastern lands. stamps. In order to equalize the level of development of the western and eastern lands, a special solidarity tax was introduced in 1991 (otherwise - “solidarity tax”), designed to finance the reunification of the country and amounting to 5.5% of income or corporate tax.
Russian tax (Estonia) Former Ambassador of Estonia to Russia Mart Helme proposed introducing a tax on the use of the Russian language in the republic. According to the politician, “it is necessary to protect the Estonian language, and the simplest and most reasonable way is to do this by hitting your pocket. A special tax on the use of the Russian language should be introduced in Estonia. For television channels, this means an additional fee for each second of the show, which would make Russian-language channels so expensive that a normal person would refuse to watch them. For printed materials, the tax could be calculated by the number of printed characters or based on the area of \u200b\u200bthe material in square centimeters ... "
by Notes of the Wild MistressSmokers Tax (Hungary)
Hungarian smokers several years ago paid a special tax on the maintenance of fire brigades.
Dust Tax (Armenia)
To all available taxes, another tax has been introduced in Armenia - on ... dust. “Having discussed the issue of removing excess dust in the yards by sanitary-cleaning organizations, the Ministry of Economy decided: the population should pay the cost of dust removal at the rate of 1.91 dram per 1 square meter,” the official statement reads.
On this occasion, Armenian newspapers cite the statement of one of the characters in the fairy tale “The Adventures of Cipollino” by Prince Lemon: “Since we introduced the air tax, you began to breathe less!”
Shadow Tax (Italy)
Since 1993, a shadow tax has been levied in Venice. Sheds and umbrellas, which belong to shops and numerous cafes, from which the shadow falls on the communal property - land, fell under this tax.
Toilet Tax (Italy)
Also in Venice in 1999, an additional source of replenishment of the city budget was found: visitors to tourists have to pay a fee of 1 thousand Italian liras for every visit to the public toilet. The Venetian pays half as much for entering the restroom - unless, of course, he prudently acquired a pass in advance. The pass can be purchased for three years in advance: then the pleasure of visiting public restrooms for three years costs only 6 thousand Italian liras. Considering that 10 million guests visit Venice annually, an additional source of income has been significant.
Tourism and Flower Taxes (Kyrgyzstan)
In accordance with the Tax Code of the Kyrgyz Republic:
- tax on tourists traveling to foreign countries;
- a tax on citizens growing flowers in greenhouse conditions and selling them to the population.
Sin Tax (China)
In the summer of 1996, the authorities of the port city of Tianjin introduced a sin tax, according to which cohabitation without a marriage certificate costs the violators 1,000 yuan ($ 120).
Prostitution Tax (Holland)
The authorities of the Belgian capital have introduced an annual tax on shop windows, which are followed by prostitutes in the Red Light District ($ 3,100 for each shop window) waiting for customers. The “sex” tax will bring the budget 4 million francs, which will allow for additional patrols in this quarter. Sex workers said they would appeal the decision in court. But going to court will be more demonstrative. The action was launched mainly in order to draw public attention to gaps in the legislation on prostitution, because of which the "night butterflies" often become victims of police arbitrariness.
Gypsum tax (Austria)
In Austria, skiers are required to pay a special gypsum tax every time they descend from the mountain, the funds from which are transferred to Austrian clinics. According to the most conservative estimates, in the Austrian Alps about 150 thousand skiers are injured annually, and about 1 billion shillings a year are spent on treatment.
Ears tax and other unusual taxes (Tibet)
In 1926, the Dalai Lama introduced a tax on ears in Tibet to maintain its army. Those who lost one ear in battle then felt lucky for the first time: they were supposed to pay only half the amount.
In general, at the turn of the XIX – XX centuries. Tibet was the leader in the number of different extravagant taxes. Taxpayers had to pay taxes on weddings, on the birth of children, on the right to sing, dance, ring the bell and beat the drums. The tired traveler was not even allowed to take a nap on the grass: he had to pay a tax to the land owners for the night. In total, 1892 taxes were then levied in favor of the state!
Barbecue Tax (Belgium)
The government of the French-speaking region of Belgium - Wallonia, in whose territory about 4 million people live, approved the introduction of a special barbecue tax.
The tax has been introduced since June 2007. Its size is 20 euros, and the goal of its introduction, according to local media, is to combat climate change. According to experts, an average of 50 to 100 grams of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere during the grill process. Scientists believe that carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere are the main cause of global warming. The Walloon authorities intend to control compliance with the new tax legislation from the air. A helicopter equipped with a thermal camera capable of detecting heat sources will fly around the region in search of intruders.
Piracy Tax (France, Germany)
French musicians and film figures who lose part of their income due to the fact that many prefer to copy their “imperishable creations” rather than buying them in a store, will be able to return some of the money stolen from them.
In January 2001, the French government introduced a special tax on blank CDs and video tapes, the proceeds of which will be transferred to the masters of culture. Taxes will also be imposed on computer hard drives and VCRs.
The French followed the example of the German government, which imposed an “artistic tax” on everyone who buys new computers. The tax on each hard drive at that time was about 13 dollars. In France, a tax on tape recorders has existed for a long time, since the beginning of the 90s. 75% of the proceeds under this article are paid to singers, actors, etc. The remaining money is spent on developing new talents.
Representatives of the French electronic industry condemn the "artistic tax" and threaten to go to court. In their opinion, government policy in this area hits the pockets of everyone, including the French, who are not involved in piracy.