Egyptian Tax
The first known taxation system was in ancient Egypt. Pharaoh would collect taxes twice a year from the Egyptians. One of the most frequently taxed goods in the ancient world was cooking oil, which was actually taxed throughout Egyptian history for its shortage. The Egyptian tax eventually became so widely known that it is even mentioned in the Bible, “when the harvest comes, give one-fifth to Pharaoh.”
Athens, Greece
For the Athenians in Greece, war was a way of life, and it was expensive. Thus, the Athenians taxed their citizens for the costs of war with a tax they called “eisphora.” The most historic factor of this tax is that it does not exempt anyone, which many consider the first democratic taxation system, because after the war money was often returned to the people. There is also some documentation of the tax imposed on foreigners (or any individual without an Athenian mother and father), called “metoikion.”
Salt Tax in India
Salt has been taxed in India for centuries. However, in 1835 the British East India Company drastically increased import taxes after they began to impose rules on the Indian provinces. The salt tax was raised and lowered by many leaders and events, and was not lifted until 1946.
Rome and Caesar
A tax called a “portoria” was first imposed in Rome on imports and exports to the city. Caesar Augustus, now considered the genius tax strategist of his time, assigned each city the task of collecting taxes. He also raised the tax on the sale of slaves from 1% to 4%, and created a tax to collect pensions for soldiers.
Great Britain
The occupation of the Roman Empire may have sparked the fire for the first taxes in England. During the 11th century, Lady Godiva’s husband, Leofric, Earl of Mercia, said that he would lower taxes if he rode a horse on the streets naked. Lady Godiva made her now famous journey and lowered taxes for her people.
French Revolution
Prior to the French Revolution, civil unrest imposed heavy taxes on the lower classes. While priests and aristocrats were exempt from taxes, peasants and workers with fixed wages were not. The tax gap also makes lower-class citizens unable to pay court fees, making justice out of reach except to those who are rich enough to afford it. While the true causes of the French Revolution are still debated to this day, many historians feel these high and unfair taxes were a major contributing factor to civil unrest.
