A History of Taxes, Part 1: Taxes and Ancient Egypt
W. Marc Gilfillan, CPA, NC, individual and business CPA and Tax expert, shares about the history of taxes…
Ancient Egypt wasn’t a place of cruel taskmasters and miserable slavery - that is only the impression we get from the tale of Exodus, which came at a time of unrest in Egypt. Actual translations of Egyptian language indicate that life in ancient Egypt was usually bountiful and peaceful. The land was fertile, men and women had roughly equal rights and life was enjoyed. But, there were tax collectors, as many as “the sands of the seas”. The order of Egyptian life was maintained by these “scribes” whose job was enforcing the pharaoh’s tax policies. Most everything was taxed - sales, slaves, foreign people, imports, exports, and businesses. Crops were taxed at a hefty 20%. There was even a tax on cooking oil and scribes would make continuous visits to kitchens to ensure that free drippings were not being wasted as opposed to the taxed oil.
The word “freedom” ironically in ancient Egypt did not refer to a person’s political or social liberty but to a person’s taxation level. If you were “free,” it meant that you were exempt from taxation. Interestingly, the word can’t be found anywhere in the Egyptian language. Good thing we live in this time eh? Go here if you want help with modern-day Tax Preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll in Cary NC.
However, the scribes were never inconsiderate (at least in theory). They were told to act kindly towards the poor and defenseless. One ancient text instructs: “if a poor farmer is in arrears with his taxes, remit 2/3 of them.”
Another text instructs scribes to “lighten up everyone and to put them into a good mood.”
And, if someone is struggling under the stress of their taxes, or is at the end of his means to pay them, you must let the case go unchecked.” If you’re feeling the pressure with today’s taxes, call a Raleigh NC Accountant for all your tax-related needs!
This lenient policy was coined “philanthropa”. From that we get the word philandthropy.
Over the 3000 years of the Egyptian empire, there were many times of humane and decent tax administration.
Keep an eye out for W. Marc Gilfillan’s next chapter in his History of Taxes series: Taxes and the Greeks. http://www.marccpa.com/
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