| Originally it was the Egyptians who invented | | | | Caesar's sales tax of 1% to 4% for slaves and |
| the system of Taxes. They appointed Tax | | | | 1% for everything else. The first tax-free |
| Masters, whose job it was to increase the | | | | shipping port at Delos was created in the 4th |
| burden on the slaves under the Egyptian | | | | century B.C. The shipping port is known as |
| domination. Tax collectors, also known as | | | | the first "Tax Haven" in history. It diverted |
| Scribes, were drawn on tomb paintings dating | | | | traffic from Rhodes. Roman Emperor, |
| as far back as 2000 B.C. | | | | Vespasian, expanded taxes during the 1st |
| | | | century A.D. He created the Fiscus Judaicus, |
| They taxed simple things such as the use of | | | | known as the Tax on Jews, as well as a tax to |
| cooking oil in family meals, as well as other | | | | use urine for cleaning or tanning leather. |
| aspects of daily life. They accomplished this | | | | An inheritance tax of 10% was enforced on all |
| by auditing households and checking that the | | | | Roman Citizens in 212 A.D. |
| correct amount of cooking oil was being | | | | |
| consumed. They also ensured that residents | | | | The Queen of Englia, Boadicea led a revolt, |
| were not using methods of cooking other than | | | | which can be credited to corrupt tax |
| the taxed oil. | | | | collectors in 60 A.D. The revolt allegedly |
| | | | killed over 80,000 people, including all the |
| Greece adopted the tax system from the | | | | Roman soldiers within 100 miles. She managed |
| Egyptians and used it in Athens during times | | | | to seize London during the process and raised |
| of war. They created a tax, known as | | | | an army of 230,000. Emperor Nero finally |
| eisphora, which was used to pay for special | | | | managed to stop the revolt and appointed new |
| wartime expenditures. They stopped the tax | | | | administrators for the British region. |
| system once the emergency war was over. Once | | | | |
| additional resources were gained by the war | | | | Lady Godiva caused a bit of disturbance |
| effort they refunded the tax. Greece is one | | | | herself in the 11th Century. According to |
| of the few societies that managed to maintain | | | | legend she rode through town naked on |
| this system. Foreigners where taxed in Athens | | | | horseback, as part of a deal that she had |
| under the metoikion tax. | | | | made with her husband, Leofric, the Earl of |
| | | | Mercia. He had promised to reduce the taxes |
| Ancient Rome took on the tax system and | | | | if she went through with the dare. The |
| included sales taxes, and inheritance tax, as | | | | residents of Coventry, where the tax was |
| well as tax on imports and exports. Caesar | | | | reduced, honoured her for her courage. |
| Augustus is considered as one of the best tax | | | | |
| strategists of the Roman Empire. During his | | | | From then on countries battled and fought |
| reign as "First Citizen", he made cities | | | | over different types of taxes. Eventually |
| responsible for collecting taxes, instead of | | | | each country began editing its own tax system |
| allocating the task to tax collectors from | | | | to suit its needs. They expanded the tax |
| central government. He created an | | | | system, dropping smaller taxes for bigger |
| inheritance tax of 5%, which resulted in all | | | | ones, until eventually we have the system we |
| military costs being paid for. This inspired | | | | have today. |
| the English and Dutch to make similar taxes | | | | |
| in later years. | | | | Celeste writes for an online company whose |
| | | | client is Financial and Insurance News, who |
| During Julius Caesar's reign, sales tax was | | | | specialize in news about insurance, |
| enforced. Caesar Augustus changed Julius | | | | networking and tax. |