In 1944, the US federal government slapped a heavy 30% tax on all food-serving venues (such as clubs) that featured dancing, leading to the downfall of swing music and dancing in America. It would not be repealed until the 1960s (though it was reduced a few years after implementation).
taxes
In 1429, King Charles VII of France…
In 1429, King Charles VII of France exempted the town of Domrémy from paying taxes “forever”, after a promise to Joan of Arc. Taxes were imposed again during the French Revolution.
In 1695 the English parliament…
In 1695 the English parliament passed a law to tax all bachelors over the age of 25. The Bachelor Tax was later abolished in 1706.
The winner of the first season…
The winner of the first season of the American show “Survivor”, Richard Hatch, served 4 years in prison for tax evasion after failing to report his winnings to the IRS.
Bill Gates loves paying taxes…
Bill Gates loves paying taxes. In 2018, he paid over $10 billion in taxes but stated he should be paying more. In an interview, Gates said, “I’ve paid more taxes, over $10 billion, than anyone else, but the government should require people in my position to pay significantly higher taxes.”
In 1966, the Beatles were making so much…
In 1966, the Beatles were making so much money that they had to pay a 95% “supertax” on their earnings in the UK. After finding out how much money they were losing, Beatles guitarist George Harrison wrote the song “Taxman” out of anger.
22-yr-old Canadian man John McCue…
22-yr-old Canadian man John McCue took it upon himself to fill potholes with the sign: “I filled the potholes. Pay me instead of your taxes.” Drivers gave him cash, coffee and joints for filling in potholes.
In the 1900s Argentina had a tax…
In the 1900s Argentina had a tax on unmarried men that included an exemption for single men who had proposed to a woman for marriage but were rejected. Women then started proposals rejection businesses where they would charge to turn down proposals from bachelors seeking to evade the tax.
ABBA’s famous outfits were chosen because…
ABBA’s famous outfits were chosen because of Swedish tax law. If they bought cloths for performance they could get a tax deduction, but they had to prove they couldn’t be worn on the street. According to Björn “we looked like nuts […] Nobody can have been as badly dressed on stage as we were”.
In ancient Athens, only the 300 wealthiest…
In ancient Athens, only the 300 wealthiest citizens had to pay tax; this was considered a high honour, and taxpayers competed to provide the greatest public good.