Whether you need an icebreaker for your next dinner party or just want to entertain your brain during your coffee break: These fun facts might surprise you.
Fun facts you (probably) never knew about houses
We spend years of our lives at home. How many fun facts do you know about them?
Property tax started in ancient times
It’s one of life’s not-so-fun facts: Taxation has always been a part of civilization. As for property taxes, there’s no one person to blame. Land taxes can be traced as far back as 5,000 B.C. in ancient Egypt.
The primary focus of early property taxation was land and its production value. Ancient Egypt had a thriving culture that began around 5,000 B.C. and lasted thousands of years. Taxes were levied against the value of grain, cattle, oil, beer and land.
Key points about property taxes in ancient Egypt:
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Basis of taxation:Taxes were primarily based on the value of land and its agricultural output, meaning farmers were the primary taxpayers.
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Collection method:Due to the lack of coined money at the time, taxes were collected in the form of harvested crops, livestock, or labor.
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"Following of Horus":A practice where the Pharaoh would personally travel the land to assess crop yields and collect taxes, known as the "Shemsu Hor" or "Following of Horus".
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Scribes as tax collectors:Highly skilled scribes kept records of land ownership and crop yields, acting as tax assessors.
