A Lesson in Tax Practices, Part 6: Tax and The End of the Roman Empire
W. Marc Gilfillan, CPA, NC, individual and business CPA and Tax expert, shares about the history of taxes…
Mithridates the Great ruled a tiny nation near what is now Turkey. He had an amazing power to rouse discontent among disgruntled taxpayers. In 88 BC he led a civil war against Roman rule. By promising 5 years of tax immunity to every city that followed his army, he gathered substantial help.
The Roman Senate sprang into action and told General Sulla to raise an army and restore Roman authority in the rebellious area. Sulla succeeded in suppressing the rebels, but only following a four year struggle. When the revolt was squashed, Sulla told the leading citizens of the disgruntled cities to meet him at Ephesus. At Ephesus the citizens were to remit five years of back taxes and pay Sulla for the cost of the war.
To enforce this tax, Sulla established “special agents.” These special agents had the power to scourge and behead, which was enough to cause most taxpayers fall in line. Up until this time there had been self-assessment tax collections, private tax collection, army tax collectors and regular government tax men. However, these new “special agents” were highly skilled specialists with the arrogance of bureaucrats and the power of military executioners. Taxpayers lost all inclination to evade. If you're feeling the pressure with today's taxes, call a Tax Preparer in Raleigh, NC for all your tax-related needs!
Special Agents have emerged time and again in the course of history, surviving in the modern age as “fiscal police” or just “special agents”, given the title first instituted by Sulla over two thousand years past. As the use of the general's special agents was put in to place in other provinces, soldiers came to understand that the rich spoils of war came from their general, as opposed to the Roman Senate. Roman generals came back to Rome with the unwavering loyalty of their soldiers. Huge civil wars broke out as rival legions slaughtered each other. With these moderately private armies, the institution of a military dictator was inescapable. Thus, the Roman Republic died. Royalty, dictators, and military strategists would now rule for the next two thousand years. Democracies and republics wouldn't see a large role in civilization again until the 1800s. Go here if you want help with modern-day Tax Preparation in Cary, NC.
Keep an eye out for W. Marc Gilfillan's next chapter in his History of Taxes series: Taxes and the American Revolution.
http://www.marccpa.com/
Tags: accountant, bookkeeping, cary, payroll, raleigh, tax, tax preparation, tax return, tax tips, taxes, triangle, wake country