Intuit® Accountants News Happy Tax Day 2016! Read the Article Open Share Drawer Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Written by Tara Stratton Modified Mar 4, 2019 2 min read Happy Tax Day, and congratulations on making it through another tax season. As you finish up your last few tax-related tasks and before you head out on your much-needed vacation, take a few minutes to read a few fun facts about taxes in the United States and around the world: 1. Tax Day wasn’t always in April! When the current income tax system was made into law in 1913, the date was March 1. In 1918, the date changed to March 15. It was finally moved to April 15 in 1955.1 2. The word “tax” is from the Latin word “taxo,” which means “value,” or “assess the worth of.”2 3. Tsar Peter I of Russia initiated a beard tax in 1698 in hopes of incentivizing men to be clean-shaven—a look that was popular in Western Europe. It was abolished in 1772.3 4. In Wisconsin, disposable diapers are subject to sales tax, but cloth diapers are not.4 5. In Texas, cowboy boots are exempt from sales tax, but hiking boots are not.5 6. Since Jimmy Carter’s presidency, every president has release his individual income tax returns.6 7.In 2015, about 91 percent of tax returns were e-filed, and the IRS expects that number to continue to grow each year.7 8. The country with the highest income tax rate (for a single person with an average salary and no children) is Belgium. This person’s tax rate would come in at about 42.8 percent of his or her salary. Germany comes in second, followed by Denmark.8 9. Over the entrance of the IRS building in Washington, DC is a quote by the Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., “Taxes are what we pay for a civilized society.”9 Irs 10. In 2004, Maryland imposed a “toilet tax” on residents whose houses are hooked up to sewers leading to treatment plants. The tax was implemented to help restore the polluted Chesapeake Bay.10 I hope you enjoyed these fun Tax Day facts. Now go and enjoy that vacation! Editor’s note: Looking for more workflow management tips? See our other workflow optimization resources on the Tax Pro Center. References 1 Sung, Jessica. Why Is Tax Day April 15? Fortune Magazine, 15 Apr. 2002. Web. 03 Mar. 2016. 2 Latdict. Kevin D. Mahoney., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2016. 3 “September 05, 1698 – Beards Gets Taxed.” This Day in History. History Channel, 04 Mar. 2016. Web. 03 Mar. 2016. 4 “Unusual Tax Breaks, Tax Deductions, and Tax Exemptions.” Efile, n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2016. 5 Ibid. 6 “Presidential Tax Returns.” Tax History Project” Tax Analysts, n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2016. 7 “U.S. Taxpayers Efiled More Than 128 Million Returns in 2015.” Complete IRS Efile Statistics. Efile, n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2016. 8 McCarthy, Niall. “The Countries With The Highest Income Tax Rates [Infographic].” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 19 Mar. 2015. Web. 03 Mar. 2016. 9 “Tax Quotes.” Internal Revenue Service, 11 Jan. 2016. Web. 03 Mar. 2016. 10 “Maryland Income Taxes and State Tax Forms.” Efile, n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2016. Previous Post Taxpayer Access to Tax Return Information Next Post Intuit ProConnect Participates in CSEA Trade Show in Las Vegas Written by Tara Stratton Tara Stratton is a marketing manager for Intuit® Accountants, where she has worked since 2015. She earned her MBA from Southern Methodist University. In her free time, she enjoys running, camping, traveling, and spending time with her friends, family, and dog. More from Tara Stratton Comments are closed. Browse Related Articles Tax Law and News Consultant Spotlight: John Trammell Practice Management Why you should care about green cloud computing Practice Management Consultant spotlight: Steven G. Advisory Services Understanding your client’s relationship with mon… Practice Management Consultant spotlight: Jonathan Lovitt Practice Management ProConnect™ Tax spotlight: Megan Leesley, CPA Tax Law and News Boo! Extension season horror stories Tax Law and News Tax relief for victims of Hurricane Milton Practice Management Tax Season Readiness virtual conference—Nov. 13-14 Practice Management Lacerte® Tax spotlight: Tania Santos, EA