W. Marc Gilfillan, CPA, NC, individual and business CPA and Tax expert, shares about the history of taxes…
Mithridates the Great ruled a small nation near what is currently known as Turkey. He had an amazing power to rouse discontent among disgruntled taxpayers. In 88 BC he led a civil war fighting the Romans. By promising 5 years of tax exemption to each city that followed his army, he mustered substantial support.
The Roman Senate sprang into action and told General Sulla to muster an army and restore Roman authority in the rebellious area. Sulla was victorious in suppressing the rebellion, but only following a 4-year war. When the revolt was crushed, Sulla told the leading citizens of the disgruntled cities to come to Ephesus. There the citizens were to denounce the 5 years of back taxes plus compensate the general for his war debt.
To make sure the tax was collected, Sulla instituted “special agents.” These special agents had the power to scourge and behead, which was enough to cause most taxpayers fall in line. Until this period there were self-assessment tax collections, corporate tax collecting, military tax collection and regular government tax collectors. However, these newly instituted “special agents” were very skillful specialized men with the ignorance of bureaucrats and the power of military executioners. Taxpayers lost any hope to evade. If you are feeling the pressure with today’s taxes, call a Tax Preparer in Raleigh, NC for all your tax-related needs!
Special Agents have been instituted several times in the past, persisting into modern times as “financial police” or just “special agents”, given the name first given by Sulla over two thousand years ago. As the practice of Sulla’s special agents was put in to place in other provinces, soldiers came to realize that the rich spoils of war came from their general, as opposed to the Roman Senate. Roman generals came back to Rome with the unwavering loyalty of their soldiers. Huge civil wars started as rival armies fought. With these semiprivate armies, establishment of a military dictator was inescapable. Thus, the Roman Republic dissolved. Kings, dictators, and generals would now rule for the next 2000 years. Democratically designed governments and republics wouldn’t see a large role in civilization again until the 1800s. Go here if you want help with modern-day Tax Preparation in Raleigh, NC.
Keep an eye out for W. Marc Gilfillan’s next chapter in his History of Taxes series: Taxes and the American Revolution.
http://www.marccpa.com/