By the 19th century, opposition to window taxes had erupted everywhere.
“The expression ‘free as air’ is no longer true.
“Since the window tax was imposed, neither air nor light is free,” Charles Dickens fumed.
The protests continued for decades.
Leaflets were distributed, songs were made and sung, and speeches against the movement were given.
In 1845, income tax was reintroduced, and soon after, Prime Minister Robert Peel abolished the glass tax.
But the window tax was left behind.
It was not until 1850 that a bill to repeal the window tax was introduced in Parliament.
According to legend, lawmakers called the window tax a "daylight robbery" during the debate.
---From "Chapter 1: The Thief of Sunlight"

Today, taxes are withheld at source and collected forcibly without our knowledge.
Some people say that when I say this, I am not forcing them to take it.
But when I say forced, I mean that if you don't pay your taxes, you become a criminal.
But in many cases, there is no chance of even going to prison.
Because taxes are withheld at source.
So comedian Chris Rock quipped:
“You don’t pay taxes, the government takes them.
As soon as I get my paycheck, it disappears the next moment.
“This is not extortion, this is robbery.”
---From "Chapter 3: Why the sudden tax?"

John Hampden's creed against Charles I became the rallying cry of the American Revolution.
Their slogans still resonate today.
“No taxation without representation.” Thirteen states rose up against taxes imposed by the British monarch.
Their victory gave birth to the United States of America, the world's most powerful nation today.
---From “Chapter 8: Taxation and the Formation of the Modern State”

When William Forster of the Liberal Party said in the House of Commons that slavery was the cause of the Civil War, he said, "No.
Opposition poured in, saying, “It’s because of the tariffs!”
Lincoln did not fight the Civil War to abolish slavery.
As late as August 1862, Lincoln was saying, “The supreme object of the Civil War is to save the Union.”


“The object of this war is not the preservation or abolition of slavery.
If I could save the Union without freeing a single slave, I would do it.
If the Union could be saved only by freeing all the slaves, then so be it.
If I had to free some and leave others alone, I would do it.” The Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves in the South, was issued belatedly in January 1863, a move Lincoln made “when he was desperate and felt he had run out of cards to play and would lose unless he changed his strategy.”
---From "Chapter 10: The Real Reason for the Civil War"

The bigger the war, the bigger the tax burden.
World War II left the world burdened with more taxes.
As U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt said, “War costs money.” The United States covered 22 percent of the costs of World War I through taxes.
The rest was filled by borrowing and issuing currency.
After the war, most Americans were still exempt from income tax.
That was changed to the Income Tax Act of 1942.
The number of people affected increased from 13 million to over 50 million.
Suddenly, 75 percent of the population found themselves having to pay income tax.
Time lamented that this tax “would take more money from more people than any other taxpayer in American history.”
---From Chapter 12, World War II and Taxes

After World War II, government spending decreased, but taxes never returned to pre-war levels.
No, it didn't even come close to a similar level.
Rather, it was stuck at a high level.
Income tax has now become a part of the 20th century for everyone.
The war broke the tax genie out of the bottle and no one put it back.
The British Institute for Fiscal Policy calls this the ratchet effect.
In peacetime, politicians are reluctant to raise taxes for fear of affecting their re-election chances, but when war breaks out, the situation changes, and once new taxes and high rates are introduced, they are unlikely to be removed.
---From "Chapter 13: 20th Century Taxes: Collecting More and Easier"

The repayment of the debts incurred now will fall on future generations who have not yet been born.
Even as their debts pile up, they have no say through voting.
They must repay the debts they incurred today with their own taxes.
If they cannot repay their debt, they will have to bear the price.
Debt is a tax carried forward to the future, or, to borrow a phrase from the American Revolutionary War, taxation without representation.
---From "Chapter 14: Debt and Inflation Are Hidden Taxes"

Among the new technologies that threaten government revenue, cryptocurrency technology has the greatest impact.
The realization of a large government in the 20th century was largely due to the existence of fiat currency.
By being able to control the amount of money at will, the government gains immense power.
If the government needs money, it just prints it.
But non-governmental currencies cannot do this.
Since there is no control, there is no way to impose an inflation tax by lowering the value of the currency.
Cryptocurrencies are not only difficult to report on taxes, but withholding taxes, value-added tax, sales tax, and transaction taxes will become increasingly difficult to collect and monitor.
Tax collection will become more difficult, especially as alternative currencies become more widespread online and overseas.
---From "Chapter 16: Cryptocurrency is the IRS's Nightmare"

Taxing technology will only become more complex.
Because tax laws have not kept pace with changes in the value chain, there are many cases where people cannot pay their taxes even if they want to.
If servers are located in multiple locations and data is transmitted to distant locations, where should profits be attributed? Where should costs be accounted for? Where should IP be located? Where should added value be considered created? To which country should value-added tax be paid? Is there a possibility of double taxation?
---From "Chapter 17: Escape from Digital"

The ideological conflict between big government and small government, authoritarianism and liberalism, smokestack industries and IT industries, high taxes and low taxes will persist.
There is no way that either side will fall out first.
However, countries that choose fair and simple tax systems with low tax rates will prosper.
Where taxes are low and citizens are most free, the greatest inventions, reforms, and resulting wealth will be generated.
History has proven this, and the future will be no different.

---From "Chapter 19: The System Collapses"