Discussing the history of taxation and money can result in the exposure of some strong opinions. In fact, over time, while the nature of taxes has changed, people have resisted them and worked for reform. Going back over the different views on the subject can shed light on the systems that we have in place today.
Originally, people traded products that were assumed to have a similar value. However, determining prices this way was difficult since people had to trade between very different products that may or may not have been available at the same time depending on harvests and other variables. This led some societies to look for a way to establish standard units of value that could be traded regardless of the product or time.
The leap to money from this conception was not very hard to make. Some early societies recognized that valuable goods or commodities could be a stand-in for direct trades. Gold, silver or even shells served this purpose in different societies. Certain producers marked them to prove their origin and value. Governments soon realized that they could serve as trustworthy authorities and began produced and distributing their own currencies.
Once people could trade and store value in this way, governments saw the opportunity to mobilize the riches of their people to fund things like public works, as in the case of the Egyptians. Others, like the Greek city-states, levied taxes from time to time to pay for military expenses during times of war. The Romans decentralized collection and came up with new taxes. These changes would later be reflected in European systems.
Nowadays, people expect more from their governments than just large works or standing armies. Beyond this, to some degree or another, most societies want governments to help retired, disabled, unemployed and poor people with expenses. As a result, tax authorities collect revenue from imports and exports, capital gains and sales, as well as many other transactions.
For many people now, money is largely a number in a bank account that goes up or down with payments going in and out. Governments recognize this and are beginning to offer electronic services in a variety of areas, including tax services. Online services range from simple FAQs to complete filing online. This varies from country to country.
An overview of the history of taxation and money shows that these have been existed for ages and are unlikely to go away any time soon. But, as we speak, several governments across the world are discussing the simplification of their systems. While people often feel skeptical about such reforms, tax law will undoubtedly look different as our perceptions and values evolve.
Originally, people traded products that were assumed to have a similar value. However, determining prices this way was difficult since people had to trade between very different products that may or may not have been available at the same time depending on harvests and other variables. This led some societies to look for a way to establish standard units of value that could be traded regardless of the product or time.
The leap to money from this conception was not very hard to make. Some early societies recognized that valuable goods or commodities could be a stand-in for direct trades. Gold, silver or even shells served this purpose in different societies. Certain producers marked them to prove their origin and value. Governments soon realized that they could serve as trustworthy authorities and began produced and distributing their own currencies.
Once people could trade and store value in this way, governments saw the opportunity to mobilize the riches of their people to fund things like public works, as in the case of the Egyptians. Others, like the Greek city-states, levied taxes from time to time to pay for military expenses during times of war. The Romans decentralized collection and came up with new taxes. These changes would later be reflected in European systems.
Nowadays, people expect more from their governments than just large works or standing armies. Beyond this, to some degree or another, most societies want governments to help retired, disabled, unemployed and poor people with expenses. As a result, tax authorities collect revenue from imports and exports, capital gains and sales, as well as many other transactions.
For many people now, money is largely a number in a bank account that goes up or down with payments going in and out. Governments recognize this and are beginning to offer electronic services in a variety of areas, including tax services. Online services range from simple FAQs to complete filing online. This varies from country to country.
An overview of the history of taxation and money shows that these have been existed for ages and are unlikely to go away any time soon. But, as we speak, several governments across the world are discussing the simplification of their systems. While people often feel skeptical about such reforms, tax law will undoubtedly look different as our perceptions and values evolve.
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