Income tax began as a Civil War measure

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The most beloved annual tradition was born from artillery shells. Originally pitched as a temporary patriotic measure during the Civil War, the federal government realized that dipping directly into citizen paychecks was immensely profitable, ultimately transforming a wartime emergency into the permanent bureaucratic nightmare we all cherish today.

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Income tax began as a Civil War measure — STACKY / Economy

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Income tax began as a Civil War measure

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Keep exploring

Why the Ace of Spades is so ornate

The state where tire air is taxed

When Britain tried to tax gin out of existence

Pennsylvania's temporary tax that lasted nearly a century

Internal Revenue Service guidelines explicitly require US taxpayers to declare income generated from bribes, theft, and illegal drug sales on their annual tax returns.

Why a little flour can change how Twix is taxed

A bigger world.
One discovery
at a time.