Post #1373811
2026-02-21 09:52 UTC
I dont have to fill out any complicated forms; I just have to give them like 3/4 of the produce grown on my farm. 🤷♂️
Replies (1)
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@Hapankaali@lemmy.world 2026-02-21 10:23
The amount (usually much less - unless there was some marauding army nearby) aside, it was more complicated than that. Taxation was delegated across a hierarchy of various stages; at each stage a mixture of negotiation, deception and coercion would be used to determine the taxation amount. The lowest-level tax collectors typically worked akin to a mob protection racket, and their own livelihood depended on extracting a surplus above what their employer (typically some noble) demanded. Certainly substantially less transparent and simple than clicking through an online form in a few minutes.