STRANGE TAX LAWS
Added on: 5th Jan 2016
IN ANCIENT ROME, SLAVES WOULD HAVE TO
PAY A TAX WHEN THEY WANTED TO BUY THEIR FREEDOM
DURING THE MIDDLE AGES, SOAP WAS OFTEN TAXED
IN EUROPE. ENGLAND DIDN'T REPEAL THE SOAP TAX
UNTIL 1835.
IN 1660, ENGLAND ESTABLISHED A TAX ON FIREPLACES.
PEOPLE ENDED UP CONCEALING THEIR FIREPLACES WITH
BRICKS TO AVOID PAYING THE TAX. THIS LED TO OBVIOUS
HEALTH ISSUES AND THE TAX WAS REPEALED IN 1689.
NEW YORK CITY LEVIES A TAX AGAINST PREPARED FOOD.
THIS MEANS THAT SLICED BAGELS ARE FIRST TAXED
AS FOOD AND THEN AS PREPARED FOOD.
IT'S A DOUBLE TAX.
IN 1885 CANADA INSTITUTED THE CHINESE HEAD TAX,
WHICH TAXED CHINESE IMMIGRANTS ENTERING THE
COUNTRY. IN 1923 IT WAS REPLACED BY A LAW BANNING
CHINESE IMMIGRATION ALTOGETHER.
ALTHOUGH IT IS ILLEGAL ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL,
SOME STATES STILL TAX MARIJUANA
IN 1795, ENGLAND BEGAN TAXING THE AROMAS THAT
PEOPLE PUT ON THEIR WIGS TO MAKE THEM SMELL
BETTER. IT WASN'T LONG UNTIL WIGS WENT OUT
OF FASHION.
THE US FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TAXES STOLEN PROPERTY.
ON THE 1040 FORM THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO REPORT
IT AS SUCH, BUT THIS VIOLATES THE CONSTITUTIONAL
RIGHT AGAINST SELF-INCRIMINATION. SO, THEY CAN
CHOOSE TO JUST REPORT IT AS "OTHER INCOME".
IN 1712, ENGLAND BEGAN TAXING PRINTED WALLPAPER.
PEOPLE WOULD AVOID THE TAX BY HANGING REGULAR
WALLPAPER AND THEN PAINTING IT.
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