TAXING: We all know that tax day is fast approaching. To put a little levity in a serious situation, The Farmers Almanac website has a list of “strange and wacky taxes throughout history” in a story written by Amber Kanuckel.
A window tax was enacted in Great Britain in the 18th century as a way to tax the wealthy without looking like they were taxing the wealthy. “The logic behind this was that poor people only had one or two windows in their homes while the rich had more lavish homes, sometimes with dozens of windows.”
A wallpaper tax came along in 1712, when English lawmakers decided to tax printed wallpaper, “which builders immediately circumvented by hanging plain wallpaper, then painting the design on later.”
A tax on hats was enacted in 1784. “Hatters promptly stopped using the word ‘hat,’ which led to a tax on anything that could be worn on the head, including wigs.”
In 1795, the British government taxed powders, such as the kind used to keep wigs looking white and smelling fresh. “The result, unsurprisingly, was that wigs quickly went out of style.”
In modern times, Texas has a tax on belt buckles, as it is considered an accessory rather than essential clothing.
Of course, one of the most famous taxes was the Russian beard tax in the 17th and 18th century. In order for a man to keep his beard under the law, he had to pay a tax of 100 rubles.
In Great Britain, a tax on individual bricks was implemented to help fund the war against the American revolutionaries. Bigger bricks were used, so fewer taxes were paid.
The state of Kansas has an amusement tax for hot air balloons tethered to the ground, yet a ride in the same balloon isn’t taxed because it is considered transportation.
The Almanac site reported that several European countries impose a tax on farmers to curb flatulent cows. “Denmark takes the brunt of it. Each flatulent cow costs farmers as much as $110.”
And this last one is pretty strange: how about a Chinese tax on not smoking? In 2009, China was in a tough economic crisis. Cigarette taxes were a steady revenue stream. “Officials figured the best way to boost revenue further was to set quotas for cigarette sales.”
