Heard of tax on BEARD?

In 1535, King Henry VIII of England first introduced the taxes on beard. The tax was graduated based on the social status of the wearer.

It was during the time of Emperor Peter the Great of Russia in 1698 that the beard tax became controversial. He imposed the said tax to bring Russian society in line with Western European models.

To enforce the ban on beards, the tsar empowered police to forcibly and publicly shave those who refused to pay the tax. Resistance to going clean shaven was widespread with many believing that it was a religious requirement for a man to wear a beard. The tax levied depended upon the status of the bearded man. Once paid, they will receive a Beard Token which looks like a coin with the Russian Eagle on it.

The rationale behind this tax is quite similar with our present day Excise Tax - tax on privileges. In this case, a privilege to wear beard.

Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beard_tax

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