A brief history of the taxes that we managed to escape

There is no escaping taxes and death. In fact, some call it the cost of civilization. Taxes came into being after humans started farming and harvesting, leading to land owners. Yet, there are a few taxes we managed to escape. 

In the run up to the Budget 2016, where the common man is pitching for more tax exemptions, hiking the tax bracket, companies are pitching for tax holidays and a departure from high capital gains tax, and so on, here's a quick look at some archaic taxes that we managed to escape.

Working Tax
Unfortunately, taxes existed even before coined money came into existence. Mesopotamians had to pay taxes in the form of cattle. If that was not possible, they had to pay it in ‘kind’ in the form of bonded labour. Taxed labour was generally taken to work at harvesting lands owned by the government. In worse times however, they would be made to dig wells and if necessary, they were asked to serve in the military. If they ran away from their labour obligation, the family of the person who abandoned, would be taken into custody.

Xander Tax

In yet another quirk of fate, the entire world escaped a possible tax from a King who wanted to conquer the world. Alexander the Great, who hoped to become the ruler of the world, imagined a time where the entire world would send him back taxes. Probably, to make this possible, Alexander was the first Monarch who intended to create a common currency across all the countries he conquered. After Alexander’s death, these currencies vanished as the free countries decided to go back to their original units. 

A Christian view of tax

In a relatively unknown letter that was unearthed much later, Prophet Muhammed had made life easy for Christians under his rule. Not only did the Prophet enjoy a good relationship with the Saint Catherine Monastery of Egypt, but also allowed them the freedom to own property and exempted them from taxes. This exemption lasts till the end of time. 

“And of those that live quietly and solitary upon the mountains, they shall exact neither poll tax nor tithes from their incomes, neither shall any Mussulman partake of what they have, for they labour only to maintain themselves,” the Prophet said, as he considered Christians his citizens. 
In fact, they were to be treated lightly than others. “Neither their judges, governors, monks, servants, disciples, or any others depending on them, shall pay any poll tax or be molested on that account, because I am their protector, wheresoever they shall be, either by land or sea, east or west, north or south; because both they and all that belong to them are included in this my promissory oath and patent,” the letter said. They were also exempted from compulsory military duty.  

Cheerful Tax  

Apart from making the South surrender their slaves to abolish the practice, Abraham Lincoln was also infamous for signing the Tax Act of 1862. Income tax had been suggested earlier but levied only after Lincoln agreed to tax income beyond $600 at 3% and 5% on income above $10,000. The tax was levied mostly to raise funds for the Civil War. The Commissioner of Revenue had since stated that the people of the country had accepted it with ‘cheerfulness’, to meet a temporary exigency. While it was met with cheer, it was not particularly cheerful for the Revenue Commissioner as a less than 2,50,000 people paid the tax at a time when the population of US was above 35 million. Few would grudge a tax they never intend to pay. 

Though it was common for many ancient countries to levy a special tax to raise funds for war, the best kinds are the Ancient Greeks. They actually did refund the taxes back to their citizens after the war was over! Few other nations would ever consider returning tax money, just because their coffers are full.