Planet

The strangest taxes in the world

Throughout history there have been many strange, unusual, and weird taxes.  Many of them were implemented to raise additional revenue, while the purpose of others was to promote social change. Here are some of the strangest ones:

Plaster tax (Austria)

Austria — one of the most popular countries in Europe for mountain-skiing rest. Annually skiers gathered from all over the world, and they have to impose with the unusual tax. The Austrian authorities insufficiently have entered obligatory mountain-skiing gathering which has received the name «the tax to plaster». Every year about 150 000 mountain skiers during driving are traumaticzed and appear in local hospitals. All collected means of the power transfer to medical institutions of Austria to treatment of crises and other traumas.

Peace tax (Guinean Republic)

The countries of the Western Africa are concerned to be the poorest in the world. The  inhabitants of the Guinean Republic, almost whoo lives below the breadline, till now pay the tax to the peace though any military actions in the country now it is not conducted.

Sun  tax (Balearic Islands)

In the beginning of 2000 "solar" gathering has been entered on the Balearic Islands. The tax to the sun have imposed for all tourists. The travellers arriving on popular resorts of Ibiza, Majorca, Menorka and other islands, should pay daily  €1 for stay here. The collected tax is directed for the  improvement of a tourist infrastructure, for example, clearing of beaches and a coastal zone of dust, and also on restoration of local ecological balance.

Barbecue tax  (Belgium)

In April, 2007 the government of the Belgian region Vallonija has decided to struggle with global warming by unusual way — and has imposed the tax to a barbecue. The inhabitants who wish to prepare a barbecue in their own garden, should pay the tax in size €20, and to do it it is necessary at each use of a grill. To evade from gathering payment hardly it will be possible, as the control of observance of the tax law is conducted from air.

Chopsticks tax (China)

Chopsticks — traditional for the countries of East Asia. They have appeared about three thousand years ago and have quickly won admirers. Today in China to chopsticks still is given a special preference. The tax is gathered for the purpose of protection of woods against cutting out. Annually in China for chopsticks 25 million trees are destroyed.

Tattoos and piercing tax  (USA)

Inhabitants of American state Arkansas should think twice before making  themselves a tattoo or piercing. The matter is that besides the service of the master, they should pay also and special unusual taxes. The tax to piercing and tattoos has been entered in Arkansas in 2005. The authorities have decided to struggle with nonprofessional drawing of drawings on a body because  there is a risk to catch dangerous diseases. 

A shade tax (Venice)

The state of  Venice have decided a tax to a shade. With unusual gathering have been imposed almost the all owners of shops, restaurants and cafe, a shade which fells on the institutions of municipal building. Canopies and peaks have preferred to dismantle a part of businessmen from facades, and those who have decided to keep shape of the institutions without changes, annually fill up the budget of Venice with the payments. Despite all strangeness of raised gathering, it is not excellent till now. Besides, the owners of the Venetian cafes and restaurants are to the tax not only in solar, but also cloudy days. It is necessary to notice, that the tax to a shade is not unique non-material gathering in the world.

A civil marriage tax (China)

Civil marriage has appeared in Holland in XVI century when the people belonging to various beliefs, could not get married in church. Today the number of officially concluded marriages in the world is reduced, and the quantity of the civil unions grows. And here in China similar tendencies, on the contrary, are perceived as dangerous, and to struggle with them is solved by means of  yuan.

Consciousnesses tax (USA)

In 2005 in Tennacy the tax to psychotropic substances has been established. In the list of the substances which have got under article of the taxation, marihuana, cocaine and other narcotic preparations have got. To pay the tax  the dealers do anonymously, and in case of arrest they can show to court the payment check.