The Cowardice Tax in Medieval England. The most absurd taxes

Taxes are bad luck for all of us. An old English proverb says: "There is nothing more certain than death and taxes". Governments (and not only democracies) seem to find the smallest things to tax, especially for activities and goods.

Some countries even want to impose a tax on the use of the Internet. The English, for example, pay a tax on television, but luckily if you're blind you'll get that tax cut in half. We invite you to learn about the most curious and sometimes ridiculous taxes that have ever been collected.

1) Tax on cards

Card tax is just an example of how people could be taxed for something very popular and bringing a lot of pleasure. In the 16th and 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, James I, realized how easy money can be swindled out of people.

The tax on cards, as well as the bizarre images of the manufacturer's logo on the Ace of Spades, appeared during the time of this English monarch, who ruled in the early 17th century. He issued a law that required special badges to be shown on cards to prove that the tax had been paid. Until August 4, 1960, a deck of cards printed and sold in the UK was taxed, and the Ace of Spades also bore the maker's name and stamp that the tax had been paid.

2) Tax on sweets

In September 2009, the state of Illinois decided to impose a tax on food that was higher than the tax on other food products. Illinois Department of Revenue carefully explained that “if the product contains flour, it must be frozen”, that is, it is not sweet and it will not be taxed.

In this situation, according to the law, raisins covered with yogurt are sweet, and dryers covered with yogurt are an unsweetened product. Or Snickers is sweet and Twix is not.

3) Athlete Income Tax

In the US, the tax is paid by those who come to a foreign city or state and earn money there. Since the state government cannot afford to keep track of all the people who do business in a foreign area, it mainly focuses on the very rich and famous people, in particular, on professional athletes.

Famous 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, while spending a minimum of time, effort and money, and receives very decent amounts.

4) Tax on cowardice

The cowardice tax (known as the exemption tax) military service) was a special tax imposed 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) the Landless raised it by 300 percent and began to remove it from all knights in those years when there were no wars .

This partly led to the emergence of the Magna Carta. The cowardice tax lasted for about 300 years and then was replaced by other ways to replenish the treasury at the expense of the troops.

5) Tax on hats

The hat tax was levied by the British government from 1784 to 1811, and only on men. The tax was introduced by Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger and was an easy way to raise money for the treasury, roughly according to the relative incomes of individuals. That is, it was assumed that richer people would have more expensive hats, while poor people would have only one cheap hat or go without it at all.

The hat tax required retailers to purchase a licence, which cost £2 in London and £5 shillings elsewhere in the country. Everyone paid taxes, from producers to consumers, and huge fines were levied for evading them. The death penalty was promised to those who forged hat tax stamps.

6) Window tax

The window tax was a significant social, cultural and architectural force in the kingdoms of England, Scotland and later Great Britain in the 17th and 18th centuries. It can be seen that some windows in some buildings built at that time are bricked up. It had to do with taxes.

This tax was introduced as part of Good Deeds and Scarcity Act in 1696 under King William III and was established in accordance with the relative wealth of the taxpayer, and he had nothing to do with income tax.

When this tax was introduced, it consisted of 2 parts: a flat rate of 2 shillings per house and a non-fixed tax on the number of windows in it, ranging from 10 pieces and above. Very rich families in this case could differ from moderately rich families in that they could afford to have houses with as many windows as possible. Surprisingly, this tax lasted until 1851.

7) Tax on beards

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 only 2 weeks old beards were subject to it. The same tax appeared in Russia, but for a different reason: it was levied primarily not in order to replenish the treasury, but because the tsar believed that bearded people looked like savages. How else to make people shave?

Peter I introduced a tax on beards in Russia in 1705. Those who paid the tax had to wear a special "beard mark"- a copper or silver badge with a Russian eagle on one side and the other and an image of the lower part of the face with a beard.

8) Drug tax

This tax was deducted from a person for illegal possession of drugs in the state of Tennessee, USA. He was introduced Tennessee General Assembly in January 2005 and is levied on those who possess drugs such as cocaine, marijuana or hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Drug dealers must anonymously pay taxes to the state revenue office, where they are given a stamp proving they paid the tax. If a drug dealer is arrested without such a seal, he will have to pay a fine.

9) Fart Tax

An agricultural emissions research levy (often referred to as a "gas tax" or "tax") is a tax that was proposed in New Zealand in 2003 as an addition to Kyoto Protocol. This tax is linked to the emission of methane by farm animals, a gas that in New Zealand accounts for 50 percent of all other greenhouse gases.

Should I say how Agriculture important to New Zealand, which is why this tax was eventually rejected by the government, because the very idea of taxing a bunch of cows seemed too ridiculous.

10) Urine Tax

Pecunia non olet - "Money doesn't smell". This phrase comes from a tax on urine 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, which were emptied into special sewage pits. All 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 Vespasian's son Titus began to complain about the disgusting nature of this tax, his father showed him the gold coins and uttered the famous phrase. This expression is still in use today. Also, Vespasian's name is still associated with public toilets in France (vespasienne), Italy (vespasiani) and Romania (vespasiene).

Now you know more :)

At all times, since the formation of the first states, the authorities tried to introduce taxes, through which it was possible to replenish the treasury. In most cases, taxation was quite logical and did not raise questions from people. However, there were times when the desire to get rich won common sense.

We invite you to learn about taxes that can safely be called strange.

Gypsum tax (Austria)

Austria is known for its ski resorts, which attract hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. Most of these people come not only for a portion of fresh air, but also for extreme sensations. The Austrian government considered that medical insurance, which every tourist entering the country has, does not fully cover the state's expenses for endless dislocations and fractures of people. In this regard, it was decided to include an additional amount in the cost of ski services, which is intended to cover the cost of gypsum, if a tourist suddenly breaks any part of the body.

Prostitution tax (Holland)

At some point, the news from Holland stopped shocking the whole world. It would seem that the peculiar way of life in this country no longer surprised anyone. local residents, no tourists, when suddenly the authorities of the country decided to impose a tax on shop windows, behind which women selling their bodies demonstrate their charms. The government claims that in this way it was possible to raise a budget that will be used to pay for additional patrols in neighborhoods where prostitution is common. Sex workers are categorically against the new tax and intend to defend their case in court.

Sparrow tax (Germany)

The tax on sparrows was invented in one of the cities of Germany in the 16th century. Local authorities have found no better explanation for the unexpected fundraiser than that the poor birds are chirping too loudly and disturbing sleep. Every inhabitant of Württemberg had the opportunity to bypass the payment of tax by killing a dozen sparrows, for which he also received 6 kreuzers. If the owner of the house did not hand over the bodies of dead birds by the required date, then he had to replenish the state treasury by 12 kreuzers. The laziest residents of the city bought dead birds from underground sellers.

Peace Tax (Republic of Guinea)

Back in the 11th century in England, knights had to pay funds to the state for all the time that the country did not participate in the war. Such a tax existed for about 300 years, then it was replaced by another one, which allows replenishing the treasury at the expense of the troops. Today, paradoxically, there is a similar tax. Residents of the Republic of Guinea are forced to pay a peace tax, although there is no military action in the country. Despite the fact that most of the inhabitants of the Republic of Guinea are below the poverty line, the authorities continue to collect a fixed amount from all people.

Tax on cow farts (Estonia)

In 2008, the Estonian authorities introduced a tax on the emission of methane by cows, which pollutes the air. The tax was imposed only on those farms where there are cows. Farmers who raise chickens, pigs or other animals were exempted from collecting Money. The fact is that the country does not have a large number of enterprises that pollute the air, so cows were chosen as the worst polluters.

Sun tax (Balearic Islands)

The tax on the sun was imposed not on local residents, but on tourists. Every foreigner who comes to the resorts of Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca and several other islands must pay 1 euro per day for staying under the sun on a foreign land. The authorities claim that all the funds raised are spent on improving the infrastructure of resort areas, cleaning beaches and restoring the ecological balance of the environment.

Hat tax (UK)

From 1784 to 1811, the British government managed to significantly replenish the state treasury, one might say, without much effort. All it took was a tax on hats. In those days, both rich men and poor men could not imagine their lives without a headdress. The only difference was that a rich gentleman had several varieties of hats, for which the tax had to be paid higher than a poor man who had only one headdress.

Barbecue tax (Belgium)

Residents of the Belgian region of Wallonia, since 2007, must pay a tax on the use of grills. One can speculate for a long time why the authorities decided to introduce just such a tax, but it is unlikely to be able to guess the true reason. The fact is that in a similar way the Belgian government is fighting global warming. According to them, every time a Walloon resident fires up coals on the grill, a large number of carbon dioxide, which in turn contributes to climate change. For each use of the barbecue on his site, a person must pay the state 20 euros.

Tax on tattoos and piercings (USA)

A person who decides to pierce any part of the body or to apply a tattoo in the US state of Arkansas should stock up on additional funds. This place has a body modification tax, and the Arkansas resident must pay 6% of the cost of the amount of the procedure that he will receive. The authorities claim that in this way they are struggling with an unprofessional approach to tattooing. In their opinion, such a tax will help prevent the spread of various kinds of diseases.

Dust tax (Armenia)

In Armenia, it was decided to introduce a tax on dust. To be more precise, the government felt that there was too much dust in the courtyards of the country, and organizations that monitor cleanliness could not cope. The official appeal to the citizens of Armenia reads: "Having discussed the issue of removing excess dust in the yards by sanitary-cleaning organizations, the Ministry of Economy decided: the population must pay the cost of dust removal at the rate of 1.91 drams per 1 square meter."

Shadow tax (Venice)

In Venice, back in 1993, a strange tax was introduced, which is still in effect today. Each owner of a shop or cafe, the shadow of the building of which falls on municipal land must replenish the state treasury. Many owners dismantled the facades of buildings to get rid of paying the tax, but there are those who still pay the money. It is noteworthy that the collection of money does not depend on the number of sunny days in the city.

Civil marriage tax (China)

You will not surprise anyone with a civil marriage these days. Some are supporters of such relations, others are ardent opponents. For example, in many European countries more than 60% of couples live together without registering their relationship. The authorities of the Chinese city of Tianjin in 1996 decided to oppose such relationships and announced a tax that applies to couples in love. Now cohabitation without formalization of relations costs a thousand yuan a year.

Cowardice tax (England)

The cowardice tax was levied on knights or citizens liable for military service if, for some reason, they did not want to take part in the wars for their country. In fact, such a tax was an official bribe and enabled the coward to pay off all the dangers that could await him in the war.

Mind Expander Tax (USA)

Paradoxically, in 2005, the US state of Tennessee introduced a tax on psychotropic substances. The authorities offer drug traffickers to anonymously pay a certain sum of money for the opportunity to distribute their goods. If the drug dealer is arrested, he can produce receipts showing that taxes have been paid on time, which will allow the drug dealer to defend himself in court.

Tax on disposable chopsticks (China)

All lovers of Asian cuisine know what disposable wooden sticks are used for. What can we say about the inhabitants of China, who at the meal unanimously prefer this simple and ingenious invention. Few of the lovers of Chinese cuisine have thought about how many trees are cut down so that a person, using chopsticks only once, throws them away. The Chinese authorities not only thought about this issue, but also introduced a tax on the use of disposable chopsticks. Now the people of China must pay 5% of the sale of each pair of wooden sticks to the state treasury.

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Everything flows, everything changes - so the ancient philosophers said. However, something remains unchanged at all times - the ingenuity with which officials come up with what else to collect payments from the population. The fantasy of statesmen truly knows no bounds. And just as each country has its own sights, so each has its own collection of the most unusual and ridiculous taxes. There have been many of them throughout the history of mankind. We will tell you about the most amazing of them.

The strangest taxes from the ancient worlds to the beginning of the twentieth century

Tax payments have always been a heavy burden for the population. Moreover, they were toughened, as a rule, in the most difficult times for the people. Sometimes taxes were so absurd, and their justification so ridiculous, that it led to riots and uprisings of the masses. However, not only the poor, but also the rich suffered from stupid taxes.

Miracle taxes of world civilizations

In ancient times, wars were fought so often that the treasury simply did not have time to fill up. We had to come up with new ways to replenish it with the help of payments from the population. Remembered for centuries:

Urinary tax of the Roman emperor Vespasian. In the 70s of our era, the emperor introduced a tax on visiting public toilets. The idea justified itself, because the Romans used latrines not only for their intended purpose, but also for communication. The toilet tax gave birth to the catchphrase: "Money doesn't smell."

Byzantine air tax. It turns out that not only the heroes of the famous fairy tale by Gianni Rodari “Cipollino” had to pay for air. But, if in a fairy tale the hardships of the tax fell on the shoulders of the poor, in Byzantium it was the rich who had to pay for the air. The larger the house of a noble Byzantine, the more tax he had to pay.

European taxes were striking in their wide scope - from the most essential, to the smallest detail:

Life tax. English tax of the 14th century, which all living people were obliged to pay, regardless of income level. The collection of an absurd fee was one of the causes of a serious peasant uprising led by Wat Tyler.

Window tax. Dutch and later English tax collection led to the fact that homeowners significantly reduced the number of windows in their homes, or even completely got rid of them, laying them with bricks.

Sparrow tax. German tax, invented in the 16th century. Harmless birds did not please the inhabitants with their sonorous chirping. Each homeowner was required to rid the city of at least a dozen sparrows or pay a fee. Even an underground trade in dead birds developed - it was much cheaper to buy them for a report than to pay the tax itself.

Hat tax. It was collected in England in the 18th century, when gentlemen moved around the city exclusively in bowlers or top hats. Over time, the tax lost its relevance and was abolished.

Eastern taxes were distinguished by their originality:

Dental damage tax. Ottoman officials came up with this tax to recoup their dental expenses. They claimed that from the harmful and sweet food served in the canteens, their teeth deteriorated. So the population is to blame for this, and they have to pay.

Nose tax. Tibetan tax, its size depended on the size of the nose. The long-nosed had to pay more than, for example, the snub-nosed.

Ear tax. It was also an initiative of the Tibetans. He was going to military needs - a coin for each ear. Those who did not want or could not pay had one ear cut off. In the future, this even reduced the size of the payment.

Perhaps the strangest tax of Ancient Russia was the tax on crimes or vira. In essence, it resembled an indulgence - a letter of absolution, bought for money. For any crime, it was possible to pay off - for each, its own amount of tax was established. It depended on the status of the victim of the crime. The richer she was, the more the tax was levied.

Peter the Great made his contribution to the piggy bank of legislative oddities, who not only opened a window to Europe, but was also remembered for the introduction of very peculiar taxes:

Bath tax. Everyone who wanted to be clean had to pay a tax. It was distributed quite fairly - not by the amount of dirt, but by the level of income. Merchants and boyars paid several times more than peasants.

Tax on money in the ground. The king believed that idle capital deprives the treasury of the income due to it, and therefore should be taxed. And scammers helped to find violators.

Beard tax. Peter the Great, who gravitated towards European culture, was very annoyed by traditional Russian beards. Those who did not want to part with them voluntarily had to pay a tax. However, Peter was not a pioneer in this initiative. Back in the 16th century, Henry VIII introduced a beard tax, its size was determined depending on the status of the taxed person.

Eye color tax. Under Peter in Bashkiria in the 18th century, everyone had to pay this strange tax. However, he calculated differently. The darker the eye color was, the smaller the amount of payment was - it was believed that these were the original Bashkirs. But the green-eyed and blue-eyed had to pay much more.

Tax initiatives in the Soviet Union were also quite unusual:

Rinse tax. Such a tax existed at the beginning of the last century in the Altai Territory. Apparently, it was believed that linen was highly polluting. environment.

Bachelor tax. In the USSR, it was introduced in 1941, and canceled in the early 90s. With this collection, the state proclaimed additional assistance large families. Despite its rather long existence, this tax was extremely unpopular among the population.

Alcohol tax. It was introduced in 1985 by Mikhail Gorbachev. So he wanted to deal with the problem of drunkenness. However, the effect turned out rather the opposite. The population was outraged by the dry law and was not going to stop drinking alcohol. Underground producers of alcohol began to multiply. The number of people poisoned by low-quality products has increased significantly. The anti-alcohol campaign had to be curtailed.

Surprising nearby - absurd taxes of our time

The bureaucrats of our time have no less imagination than their predecessors. They are preoccupied with the same question - for what else can taxes be collected from the population? Sometimes they turn to past initiatives for inspiration and come up with various analogies of once-existing taxes. But there are also quite original ideas. Therefore, today in the world there are very unusual taxes.

Strange taxes near and far abroad

Some European taxes have a rather peculiar logic:

Solar tax. For a place in the sun in the Balearic Islands, every tourist must pay a daily fee. The payment was conceived as compensation for the damage caused by tourists to the environment of the Spanish resort.

The Venetian shade tax as opposed to the sun tax. A real find, because any object, alive or not, casts a shadow. So far, however, only the shadows of buildings are taxed.

Austrian plaster tax. Tourists regularly come to the country to go skiing. Of course, not without injuries. Deciding that too much money was spent on medical treatment of tourists, officials introduced a tax on plaster, which, in without fail was included in the ticket price.

French luxury tax. He caused a storm of indignation among French millionaires, and also presented Russia with a new citizen - actor Gerard Depardieu, who defiantly changed his native citizenship to Russian.

Hangover tax in Romania. Residents who are admitted to the hospital with alcohol intoxication are required to pay it. Something like a tax on alcohol in the USSR.

Belgian barbecue tax. Belgian scientists have found that cooking on a grill pollutes the atmosphere with carbon dioxide in such quantities that this is what leads to global warming.

Tax on cow farts. Farmers are levied with such a funny fee in Estonia. It is believed that cows spoil the air with large amounts of methane. Apparently, there are no particular problems in the country with enterprises that pollute the environment, so cows have remained marginal. A similar tax was going to be introduced in New Zealand, but the protest marches of farmers forced officials to abandon this initiative.

In the United States, each state has its own peculiarities in legislation and taxation, but there are also general taxes:

Tip tax. All service workers who receive tips are required to pay a tax on them. The amount of tax is calculated from the amount of the tip, which must be recorded in a special diary. Inspections are carried out regularly, so everyone has to pay the tax.

Snowmobile tax. Tellingly, it was introduced in one of the northern states of the USA, in Montana, where winters are long and snowy.

Tax on tattoos and piercings. In the state of Arkansas, tattoo and piercing lovers have to pay for every “new thing”.

Sweet tooth tax. In New York, donut lovers who ate their purchase directly at the candy store were required to pay a tax. Those who ate donuts around the corner were exempted from it.

Drug tax. In Tennessee, there is an anonymous collection for the distribution of psychotropic substances. If a drug dealer is arrested, tax receipts become a mitigating circumstance.

In Asia and Africa there are also very peculiar taxes:

Dust tax. Despite the fact that dust has always existed, it was only recently that they thought of imposing a tax on it. In Armenia, every homeowner is required to pay a dust tax on the amount square meters residential premises.

Cohabitation tax. In China, every couple who has not entered into an official marriage is required to pay a tax, and separately from each and annually.

dance tax. Egyptian dancers are obliged to pay it. Belly dance is very popular in Egypt, so tax payments significantly replenish the state treasury.

The most ridiculous taxes and tax initiatives in Russia

Since the summer of 2017, Russia begins to operate resort fee. The tax for tourists, both Russian and foreign, has become the most discussed project recent years. Of course, the need to pay contributions for the rest does not please the Russians. Due to the unpopularity of the initiative, it was decided to make the contribution minimal. Vacationers will be charged for each day of their stay on vacation. But the exact dates and the amount of the tax are not yet known.

Domestic officials continue to amuse the Russians with their ridiculous proposals for regular taxes. But most of all, I am glad that these proposals do not pass. For now anyway:

Water tax. Such a tax was proposed by the Minister of Finance. He was going to tax the office workers who drink water at work. Moreover, the amount of the tax was to be calculated depending on the amount of water drunk.
Internet tax. It was proposed to be introduced by the Russian Union of Rightholders. In fact, this is a tax for watching pirated content. But they planned to charge it from all users. The project caused a flurry of indignation among Internet users. However, it is still under discussion.

MP Vladimir Petrov proposes to introduce a tax on picnics. The forest fee is supposed to be collected from all outdoor recreation enthusiasts, regardless of the use or non-use of fire sources.

Childlessness tax. An analogue of the Soviet bachelor tax was proposed by Dmitry Smirnov. LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky also spoke in favor of this initiative, but suggested that the tax be levied only on men. President Vladimir Putin did not support the proposal, explaining that it is necessary to stimulate the birth rate by helping existing families.

There is a famous expression that there are only two things in this world: death and taxes. We die once and pay taxes again and again. In most cases, we even have to pay several taxes at once.
In some countries there are strange, almost absurd taxes, we will get acquainted with some of them today.

Uganda introduced a tax on social networks from June 1, 2018. Highly controversial tax requires citizens to use websites social networks and apps like Whatsapp, Facebook and Twitter by paying a tax of 200 shillings ($0.05) per day of use. Citizens are not required to pay tax on the days when they do not use applications or sites.
Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda, said the tax is necessary to counter the threat of social media gossip, the money generated from the tax, according to the president. allow the nation to "deal with the effects of gossip".
The tax is not popular in Uganda, where citizens accuse the government of encroaching on their freedom of expression. The introduction of this tax is not the first time Museveni has taken to social media. In 2016, he suspended access to all social media sites during elections due to claims that people were using them to spread lies.

Tanzania. Blog Taxes

If you want to blog in Tanzania, pay the government tax - $400 a year and you won't have any problems.
Through a new law enacted under the Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations of March 16, 2018, the Tanzanian government requires all online content creators to obtain a license and pay an annual tax.
The law does not only apply to bloggers, although they are the most vulnerable. This also applies to social media users, online forum members, video and podcast creators, online radio and TV, and online content subscribers.

In addition to the tax, bloggers and Internet content creators 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 cause irritation.
The initial registration fee is 100,000 Tanzanian shillings ($44). 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 their license.
The license is renewed every year. Otherwise, a fine of at least five million Tanzanian shillings (about $2,500) or 12 months in prison.

Switzerland. dog tax

Do you live in Switzerland and own a dog? You need to pay an annual dog tax or your dog could get 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 exempt or eligible for a reduced tax.
As expected with any tax, people sometimes don't pay. To enforce order, authorities in the village of Reconvilliers, which houses 280 dogs, threatened to shoot any dog whose owner refused to pay the tax. At the time, the tax in the municipality averaged $48.50 per year.

The threat to kill dogs is legally enforceable. The 1904 law effectively allowed the government to kill dogs whose owners refused to pay the tax. Dogs were slaughtered from that time until the 1960s, when the law was relaxed.

Germany. religion tax

Catholic and Protestant Germans are expected to pay a certain tax on their income to fund churches. The tax is 8-9 percent on their capital gains (gains from the sale of assets). It is collected by the government and given to their churches. This generates 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 the tax is to officially leave the church. However, this comes with some disadvantages. Any German who officially leaves a Catholic or Protestant church automatically loses some benefits, including the right to a religious burial, the use of state-funded day care, or access to all church-owned and some public schools.
In addition, Catholics who have not paid taxes cannot attend churches or receive the sacrament. They are also denied the anointing and communion of the sick unless they are close to death.
However, some Germans are willing to lose these benefits in order to avoid paying tax. Over 100,000 Germans officially leave each of the churches each year. In 2014, that figure nearly reached 200,000 per church after the government closed a loophole that allowed citizens to avoid tax because they didn't have to report their capital gains.

Venezuela. Breath tax

Venezuela does not actually impose taxes on breath as such. However, there is a special "breath tax" of 127 bolivars ($20) on passengers departing from Maiquelia International Airport in Caracas. The government said the tax is needed to offset the cost of the airport's newly installed 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, thus protecting the health of all passengers.

France. Taxes on smartphones and tablets

In 2013, France considered 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. Under this policy, French broadcasters were required to pay a culture tax to finance and promote French cultural projects.
However, with the spread of the Internet, many broadcasters bypass traditional media in order to reach their audiences. 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 a budget law to be considered by the French parliament in November 2013. However, the law was not passed.

United States, Taxes on Bribes, Stolen Goods and Other Illicit Proceeds

You are a US citizen with illegal means income? Or did you receive a one-time bribe? the federal law The US requires you to pay tax.
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires anyone who receives a bribe to report it as part of their income and pay applicable tax. The IRS also requires that income from illegal activities, such as drug dealing, be reported and taxed.
In the event of a theft, the thief is expected to pay the appropriate tax on the current market value stolen goods. The thief is only exempt from the tax if he returns the stolen property in the same year that he stole it.

Romania, taxes on witchcraft and divination

Witchcraft and divination are 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 fell into a recession (downturn).

To obtain more money, the government introduced taxes on several professions that were not previously taxed. This included sorcerers, fortune-tellers, astrologers, as well as less dubious professions such as diving instructor, embalmer.
Under the new law, they were all required to pay 16 percent of their income as tax.

The tax divided the witches of Romania into two camps. Some consider this official recognition of their work, others do not agree. They were hostile to the new tax and threatened to cast spells on the government. The witches warned that they would gather at the top of the Danube River and cast a mandrake spell into the water to curse the politicians who passed the tax.

USA. marijuana tax

The legalization of marijuana remains a point 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, D.C., 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 US federal government considers marijuana an illegal product despite conflicting state laws.

Germany. TV and radio tax

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 fund government television and radio networks. The tax sparked civil unrest in 2013 when the government demanded that everyone pay, even if they didn't have a television or radio.
Many Germans protested against this tax, and some even sued Beitraggsservice, which levied the tax from the government. Beitragsservice resorted to threats of fines and imprisonment. Germans protesting the tax called Beitraggsservis "GEZ-stapo", a pun on the GEZ (the name of the tax) and the Nazi-era Gestapo. On the other hand, the German state media called the protesters GEZ rebels.

Everyone pays taxes. After all, that is how the state is maintained. Due to taxes, pensions are paid, medical treatment is provided, and the army is maintained. The state at all times tried to get maximum income from its citizens. And enterprising residents came up with more and more new ways to evade taxes. It is not surprising that in a series of the most diverse ways of taking money from the population, quite unusual ones have also appeared. We will tell below about the most unusual taxes in the history of civilization. Some of them also significantly influenced the history of their countries.

Toilet tax. Such a strange tax was introduced by the Roman emperor Vespesian, who lived in the 70s at the very beginning of our era. Such a measure did not find support primarily from the son of the ruler, Titus. Then the emperor took the money earned in this way, brought it to his son's nose and uttered the legendary phrase: "Money does not smell." True, Titus replied: "And yet they are from urine." In addition, the pampered Romans got used to the marble public toilets of their city and began to pay the state for it. Yes, and toilets, like the famous baths, were used not only for direct need, but also for the sake of meeting and talking.

Sparrow tax. The inhabitants of Burtemberg in the 18th century faced a strange tax from their state. The owner of each house was ordered to kill 12 sparrows, for which a payment of 6 kreuzers was due. But if someone wanted to take pity on the poor birds and could not provide the required number of carcasses, then he had to pay the state 12 kreuzers. It is quite natural that no one wanted to run after the birds, so an underground trade in dead sparrows arose in the country.

Shade tax. Even intangible objects are subject to tax. An example of this was Venice, which recently, in 1993, introduced a shadow tax. According to this rule, all establishments whose shade from awnings and umbrellas falls on urban land are required to pay for it. The authorities realized that getting rid of the shadow is quite difficult, so the tax regularly replenishes the city treasury.

Cowardice tax. Being a coward is shameful, and sometimes unprofitable! Indeed, at the beginning of the 12th century, a tax on cowardice was introduced in England. According to it, every knight or citizen liable for military service who did not want to fight for the glory of his king in numerous wars was obliged to pay. At first, the amount was small, but probably there were so many who wanted to pay, and so little to fight, that King John immediately increased the tax by 3 times. In addition, the ruler began to take money from the knights even in peacetime. As a result, the tax so outraged the population that it became one of the reasons for the emergence of the Magna Carta.

Hat tax. Today it is difficult to expect that such a tax would be profitable. But there were times when the state counted on these revenues. This happened in England from 1784 to 1811. After all, it was in it that every man wore a bowler hat or top hat, regardless of his social status and wealth. The tax worked particularly well among the wealthy. After all, it was they who possessed several hats at once, while the poor had one at best. The country began to receive money from scratch, but in the end the tax had to be canceled.

Beard tax. This tax is well known to us from history. After all, it was introduced in Russia by Peter the Great in 1689. The king tried to bring the country closer to Europe, starting with the removal of beards. There were several types of them - boyar, merchant, peasant, etc. A peasant could wear a beard for free only in his village, and when entering the city he had to pay 1 kopeck. The bearded men were even forced to walk in a special uncomfortable zipun with a standing collar. If such a person appeared in other clothes, then a fine was imposed on him for each case of violation. Insolvent bearded men were even sent to hard labor for their debts to the state.

Drug tax. Such a tax, among other things, is among the most senseless. In America, there is an organization called the Internal Revenue Service, which performs the functions of our tax office. This service officially requires that illegal proceeds from the sale of drugs be declared. For this, even line No. 21 in form 1040 is highlighted. It remains only to find a conscientious dealer who admits to violating laws only in order to pay taxes due.

Freedom tax. In a world of slavery, such a tax was natural. It originated in ancient Rome. There, a free tax (manumission) was paid when a slave was freed. Sometimes the amount was paid by the owner himself, it was believed that he was rich enough, releasing the slave into the wild. But in most cases the tax was paid by the slave himself. One can imagine the grief of a former slave who paid his master for his emancipation and learned that now he must also pay Rome for it.

Tax on dissidents. This tax is the dream of modern politicians. After all, he allowed to make those who disagree pay for their opinion. As a result, dissidents either changed their minds or simply lost their livelihood. History has created a precedent for such a tax - it was introduced in 1655 by Oliver Cromwell. Although he was not an English monarch, he had great power in England. Such a tax was introduced against supporters of the king who threatened the country. The collected money made it possible to create a people's militia, which protected the country from militant royalists. But it is far from always clear to people where their money is being spent.

Life tax. And there is no way to refuse such a tax at all, any tax official dreams of this! After all, everyone will have to pay, regardless of income, age or occupation. One day, the English rulers decided that people should pay only because they live in this world. This is how the life tax came about. The inhabitants of England began to pay according to such a law in the XIV century. As a result, the country experienced a great uprising, which was called the Peasants "Revolt.

Nobel tax. If you think that the winners Nobel Prize, who received it for achievements in politics, science and literature, do not pay tax on this, then you are mistaken. Since 1986, this premium has come under the category of cash gifts, the state taxes it accordingly. The percentage of payment in each country is different, but this fact is quite remarkable. An exception is made only if the laureate donates the entire amount to charity. In this case, he simply does not have this money. The state may also offer assistance to a particular college or school.

Tax on foreigners. Nowadays, such a tax is not only not considered strange, but it is also considered quite normal. Any foreigner must pay the state the fact of his stay in it. Meanwhile, such taxes have long been out of fashion - they existed in different states until the 20th century. So, in Canada until 1923 there was a tax on the Chinese! Why on them? In those days, many former citizens of the Middle Kingdom came to Canada, which led to the introduction of a tax that regularly replenished the country's treasury. As a result, in 1923 the tax was canceled, but not at all because of concern for poor Asians. It's just that there are so many Chinese in the country that the government prudently decided to completely ban them from entering Canada.

Pipe tax. English rulers loved to invent new types of taxes. Everything that moves and breathes has already paid money. The population could not look at it resignedly, hiding objects of taxes either under the floor or in the chimney. The state decided to deal with such disgrace by adopting a tax on the hearth in 1660. Now anyone could hide anything in the chimney. The pipe itself was also taxed. But even here the population began to be cunning - people began to dismantle their pipes and use their neighbors. The use of one common pipe for several rooms has come into fashion. But after a series of major fires in London in the 1680s, the tax was finally abolished.

Window tax. This tax on the use of glass eventually became an important cultural, architectural and social phenomenon, first in England and Scotland, and then throughout Great Britain in the 17th and 18th centuries. As a result, windows covered with bricks appeared in some buildings of that period. In those days, the production of glass was quite an expensive undertaking. Few dared to use it for windows and similar purposes. Therefore, the tax on glass windows, introduced in 1696 by King William III, was essentially a tax on wealth. However, the mechanism soon began to be used more widely, bringing the state to profit, like other ordinary similar laws. In those days, the richest people used such a tax to separate themselves from people with an average income. A castle or a country house was purchased, whose architecture implied the largest number of windows. Sometimes windows were even built into load-bearing walls. The famous window tax lasted until 1851, and was replaced by another that became the basis of the current city tax. Experts say that the expression "theft of daylight" appeared precisely because of this famous law. However, the first phrase that daylight was stolen from someone dates back to 1949. But by that time, the window tax had already been canceled for almost 100 years, making the hypothesis unlikely. Yes, and in France from 1798 to 1926 there was a similar tax, introduced by Napoleons. The French paid not only for windows, but also for doors.

Tax for Denmark. In 991, the inhabitants of England were forced to pay a land tax to pay a ransom to the Danish Vikings for the opportunity to live in peace. In fact, Denmark taxed the inhabitants of another state. A very unusual form of racket! Such a tax existed for almost 200 years - until 1194. By that time, the money had not gone to Denmark for a long time, remaining in the country and going to purchase weapons and build fortresses.

Salt tax. It would seem that unusual in such a tax? However, the story goes that this tax led to massive events. Thus, the salt tax led the Chinese empire to decline; in France, it significantly accelerated the development of the French Revolution. The existence of the tax in India caused mass demonstrations, and Mahatma Gandhi also took part in them. Is it any wonder the indignation of the Indians, because England has set a tax rate of 4000%! He brought the country's treasury 5% of the total income.

Watch tax. Another interesting tax was introduced by the British in 1797. This time the state treasury was replenished by the watch owners. The tax lasted only 1 year, but during it each watch owner paid the country 5 shillings.

Tax for the right to ride a bicycle. In March 1910, the City Duma of Simbirsk adopted a resolution according to which each owner of a bicycle had to pay 50 kopecks to the city treasury. Cyclists, on the other hand, were given a booklet in which the rules of riding were indicated in detail. So, it was forbidden to drive on sidewalks, parks and gardens, as well as to move in large groups around the city. In addition, each bike owner had to equip his vehicle license plate.

Eye tax. Under Peter I, citizens paid not only for beards, but also for eyes. The tax was introduced at the beginning of the 18th century in Bashkiria. People paid the state according to the color of their eyes. So, for black, the treasury received 3 altyns, and for gray - already 8.

Plaster tax. There are a lot of people who love skiing in the Alps. As a result, 150,000 people are injured every year, and the cost of their treatment exceeds a billion shillings. So we decided in Austria to help our clinics. Skiers now pay a tax on plaster every time they ski, which is transferred to local medical institutions.