the.com/taxation
civilization's subscription fee, billed annually, cancellation prohibited, complaints department staffed entirely by accountants.
means The system by which a government compels citizens and businesses to pay money to fund public spending.
from From Latin 'taxare,' meaning to assess, appraise, or handle — itself a frequentative of 'tangere,' to touch. So at its root, to tax is to 'touch' something repeatedly in order to value it, which feels uncomfortably apt. The word reached English through Old French 'taxer,' and 'taxation' arrived in the medieval period to name the act of levying such charges.
oldest recordEgyptians taxed cooking oil 5,000 years ago
window taxBritain taxed windows; people bricked them up
beard taxPeter the Great charged Russians for facial hair
tea sparka tax revolt founded the United States
urine taxRome taxed pee collected for tanning