1. The word “tax” is from the Latin taxo, meaning “I estimate.”

2. Approximately 90% of people who employ housekeepers and babysitters cheat on their taxes.

3. If someone reports their company for tax evasion in the U.S., he or she will receive 30% of the amount collected.

4. The federal tax code was 400 pages in 1913. In 2010 it was 70,000 pages. In 2012, nearly half of Americans did not pay federal income tax.

5. Around 47% of Americans did not pay income tax in 2012. In 2007, before the economic downturn, 40% of households did not owe federal income tax.

6. The average number of days a person worked to pay his or her 2009 taxes was 103.

7. The number of words in Atlas Shrugged is 645,000. The Bible has about 700,000 words. The number of words in the Federal Tax Code: 3,700,000.

8. There are several types of taxes, including income, Social Security, sales, property, and excise taxes.

9. While the federal corporate tax rate is 35%, in reality, many companies usually pay far less than that because of loopholes and subsidies.

10. Wealthier Americans pay higher taxes than middle- or lower-income earners. The wealthiest 1% of the population earns 19% of income but pays 37% of the income tax. The top 10% pays 68% of the tab. The bottom 50% earns 13% of the income, but pays just 3% of the taxes. This does not include payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare.

11. Everyone who earns a paycheck pays a federal income tax. Forty-three of the 50 states charge their citizens an income tax. The seven states that do not have a state income tax are Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.

12. In 2010, General Electric made over $4 billion in U.S. profits. It paid $0 in taxes.

13. The United Sates has what is called a progressive tax system, which means that the more money a person makes, the more he or she pays in income tax.

14. Excise taxes are also called “sin taxes.” They are taxes on alcohol, tobacco, and gambling.

15. The top five states with the highest state tax on cigarettes are Rhode Island (3.46), New York ($2.75), New Jersey ($2.70), Hawaii ($2.60), and Wisconsin (2.52). New York City is the most expensive place in the U.S. to buy cigarettes because it adds a city tax ($1.50) onto the state tax, which results in a combined tax of $4.25.

16. Taxes can be either direct or indirect. A direct tax is a tax paid directly to the government, such as income, Social Security, sales, property, and excise. An indirect tax is one that is passed on to another person or group. For example, the cost of fuel includes a tax that consumers pay. In other words, instead of oil companies paying that tax, they pass it on to consumers.

17. The IRS is a U.S. government agency that is responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing revenue laws. It is part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

18. Roman emperor Vespasian placed a tax on urine in the 1st century A.D. Urine at that time was collected and used as a source of ammonia for tanning hides and laundering garments. A window tax in England eventually led to health problems.

19. In 1691, England taxed the number of windows on a house. Consequently, houses began to be built with very few windows or people would close up existing windows. When people began to suffer health problems from lack of windows/air, the tax was finally repealed in 1851.

20. Russian Emperor Peter the Great placed a tax on beards in 1705. He hoped that the tax would encourage men to have a clean-shaven look that was popular in Western Europe.

21. Over 1 million accountants are hired each year in America to help with taxes.

22. One of the contributing factors to the French Revolution was a salt tax called the gabelle. It was one of the most hated and unequal taxes.

23. Canada created the Chinese Head Tax in the 1880s, which taxed the entrance of Chinese immigrants into Canada. It was created to discourage Chinese from entering the country after the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed. That tax was abolished by the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923, which completely banned most forms of Chinese immigration to Canada. While in place, the tax collected $23 million ($800 million in 2013 dollars.)

24. England has a tax on televisions. Color TVs are taxed more than black-and-white TVs. However, if a blind person has a television, he or she has to pay only half the tax.

25. Double amputees in Oregon get a $50 tax credit.

http://weibo.com/peterliu