The Romans had a very complicated tax system that was used
to finance the expansive empire. Taxes got as high as five percent. The
different types of taxes include taxes on land, inheritance tax, estate taxes
(Which went to soldier pension funds), and even sales taxes.
I’m going to work for the nation’s largest accounting firm,
PwC, and I will be filling out tax returns for non-profit organizations. These
days, taxes are so complex that teams of individuals are required to ensure
they are filled out correctly for large organizations.
Interesting post! I had completely forgotten about this aspect of the Romans. It makes sense though since they conquered so many different territories and each would pay tribute or taxes to the Romans. It reminds me of the Bible when Christ paid the taxes to the Romans by getting the coin from the fishes mouth.
ReplyDeleteI always look forward to tax returns. Maybe the Roman government had the right idea having 5% taxes. In the past 40 years there are only 4 years when the government has not spent more money than it has collected. A government really only has 3 options, Raise Taxes, Borrow Money from other nations like China and Japan, or decrease spending. With a national debt of 17 trillion dollars you can guess which choice they're making...
ReplyDeleteGreat connection. It seems like 5% is nothing though, compared to our taxes. Also, you could have put "life by taxes" as your title, because you'll be making your livelihood because of taxes. Just an idea.
ReplyDelete5%. Wow. Seems crazy that anyone back then could complain about only 5%. But then again it was a different time. I remember hearing that the British government taxed the Beatles 95% for a time.
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