Special report
Peter the Great is best known as a pioneer who modernized Russia, but he got his start traveling undercover across Europe and stealing his ideas. The Tsar would industrialize his country’s army, revise its calendar – and raze its men.
After all, how could his compatriots compete with Europe while sporting mustaches? He thought they should look more like their clean-shaven European counterparts. But eventually, Peter I realized that watching over their beards wasn’t the best use of his power. Instead, he could make them pay for the privilege of having facial hair. So, in 1696, the so-called beard tax of Peter I became law.
We all know the old quote about the inevitability of death and taxes. And seemingly bizarre taxes are also a certainty in life. Until 1998, for example, Germany actually gave tax deductions for kickbacks and kickbacks, treating them as legitimate business expenses.
This is no longer the case, but in the meantime other confusing tax laws have remained in force. And governments keep coming up with new ones. (Learn more about the states where people pay the most taxes).
Click here to see the 24 weirdest tax laws in the US and around the world
24/7 Tempo has compiled a list of the 25 most unusual taxes and tax exemptions around the world, using various revenue departments, the World Health Organizationand the British Film Commissionas well as archived news articles on changes to tax laws.
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