A Lesson in Taxes, Part One: Taxation in Ancient Egypt

Posted on December 31, 2009
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W. Marc Gilfillan

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 slaves – that’s simply the impression we get from the tale of Moses, which formed at a time of unrest in Egypt. Actual translations of Egyptian language indicate that life in ancient Egypt was usually pleasant and peaceful. The land was fertile, men and women were equal and life was good for most. But, there were tax collectors, as many as “the sands of the seas”. The order of Egyptian life was kept by these “scribes” who were charged with enforcing the pharaoh’s tax mandates. Almost everything was taxed – sales, slaves, foreign people, imports, exports, and businesses. Crops were taxed at a hefty 20%. There was even a charge on cooking oil and inspectors would make continuous visits to kitchens to make sure that free drippings were not being wasted instead of the taxed oil.

The idea of “freedom” ironically in ancient Egypt didn’t refer to a person’s political or social liberty but to your taxation level. If you were “free,” it meant that you didn’t have to pay taxes. Ironically, the word cannot 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 not inconsiderate (at least in theory). They were told to be kind towards the poor and defenseless. One ancient translation instructs: “if a poor farmer is in arrears with his taxes, cut two-thirds of them.”

Another translation encourages scribes to “cheer up everyone and to put them into good humor.”

And, if anyone is suffering under the stress of taxation, 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 called “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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