A closer look
Corporate tax evasion isn't a modern invention; the medieval Baltic trade monopoly practically perfected the art. The Hanseatic League's outpost in Norway, the Bryggen Kontor, was a fortress of mercantile power where German traders completely dominated the dried cod industry. To dodge heavy local taxes, these merchants maintained two separate sets of bookkeeping ledgers: a fake, heavily sanitized version for the Norwegian king's inspectors, and the real one detailing their massive, illicit profits.
