The World History of Taxation

Taxes are considered a problem by everyone. Not surprisingly, taxation problems date back to earliest history.
Egyptian Taxex: The first known taxation system was in ancient Egypt. The Pharaoh would collect taxes twice a year from the Egyptians. One of the most commonly taxed items in the ancient world was cooking oil, which was actually taxed throughout Egyptian history because of shortages. Egyptian taxes eventually became so well known that they were even mentioned in the bible, as "when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh."
Athens, Greece: To the Athenians in Greece, war was a lifestyle. As such, Athenians taxed their citizens for war costs with a tax they called "eisphora." …