A Report Of The History Of Taxation And Money

| Monday, August 8, 2011
By Peter Thompson


Since ancient times, people have used currencies. As long as structured civilization has existed, there has also been taxation. Although many things have changed over the history of taxation and money, the loose definition is still the same.

Although most people believe that all early civilizations used bartering as their main source of commerce, bartering alone could never sustain the economical needs of the people. Before the introduction of coinage and paper money, other things were monetized and used as a standard measure of value, for example a set amount of grain or perhaps cowry shells.

From the ancient rulers of ancient Egypt, those in charge have been collecting taxes from the people "beneath" them. Taxes have been typically collected by officials employed by the governing body and held a great amount of power and esteem. Taxes have been used for various things throughout the years, including lining the pockets of those in charge, financing wars, and paying for improvements to our communities.

There used to be two methods of paying taxes: in cash and in kind. Paying with cash means using coins or paper tender to pay. Paying in kind means paying with goods, such as foodstuffs. Most of the time, upperclassmen paid in cash, while the lower class paid in kind.

Unlike most societies which collected taxes on a regular basis, ancient Greece only imposed a tax during wartime. Once peace was established, the tax was rescinded and leftover money was refunded to the taxpayers. Tax rates have fluctuated in every civilization to keep up with the needs of the governing body as well as inflation. As inflation increases, tax rates swell.

Taxes are collected by the central government, the local government, or both. When you pay a federal income tax, you are paying it to the central government. When you pay a state sales tax, you are paying it to the state or local government.

For as long as taxes have been collected, people have been evading and rebelling against them. The more strain a tax puts on the citizens, the more civil unrest arises. If the governing body does not do anything to ease the stress of the people, they could end up with revolts, rebellions, or even a full-blown revolution on their hands. Much blood has been shed throughout the history of taxation and money because of seemingly unfair taxes.




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