40+ Fun Facts About Taxes That You’ve Probably Never Heard

Although we experience Tax Day first hand each year, there’s still plenty for most taxpayers to learn. WalletHub explored this unique occasion from top to bottom in search of the most interesting, revealing Tax Day fun facts out there. You can check out what we found in the infographic below, followed by a Q&A with a panel of tax experts.

• In Roman times, urine and the ammonia within it were collected for uses such as tanning and laundering.
• Morton came up with a pretty devious tax method, called Morton’s _______ .
• Editorial and user-generated content on this page is not reviewed or otherwise endorsed by any financial institution.
• Minors must file taxes, regardless of age, if their income exceeds the standard deduction.

There’s Free Food on Tax Day.

Today, the highest marginal income tax bracket is 37%, but it has been much higher. The Individual Income Tax Act of 1944 raised tax rates to the point where the highest bracket was 94%. Aside from the nation of Eritrea, in Africa, the United States is the only country that requires citizens to pay taxes on their income if they work and live outside the country. Some wealthy individuals have renounced their citizenship and moved to another country to avoid paying taxes.

Facts About the IRS and Taxes

Unless you’re ready to deal with the government wrath created by such a stunt, we’d suggest keeping your BVDs far from the IRS. April 15 is rarely anyone’s favorite day of the year. But ASU’s Don Frost aims to make it a little less, well, taxing with some interesting trivia. The trivia tests you find here are more substantial in the amount of questions that are included, having both multiple choice and yes and no questions and answers.

There Could Have Been a 100% Income Tax

Others believe they can form a trust to hide taxable income. The IRS says it will help taxpayers who were misled to believe such myths. States that don’t have an income tax get their revenue from other sources, such as sales or property taxes. In some cases, this actually places a higher tax burden on low- and middle-income families. They could wind up paying a larger portion of their income to the state than high-income families. As of Feb. 23, the average income tax refund was $3,213, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

Tax day used to be in March

The only national holiday that would affect Tax Day is tax day trivia Emancipation Day in Washington, D.C. It recognizes the abolition of slavery in the U.S. and is celebrated on April 16. Aside from the Civil War tax on the Union states, Congress passed a national income tax in 1894, which was ruled unconstitutional the following year by the U.S. Supreme Court in Pollock v. Farmers’ Loan & Trust Company.

The IRS began offering e-filing in the mid-1980s to cut down on costs. Today, 90% of all taxpayers use e-filing through services like Turbotax or TaxSlayer. Both the national income tax and the IRS were foreseen as temporary measures to collect funds necessary to fight the war.

Trump’s taxes

During this time, the IRS website often experiences a surge in traffic. Now you know a few more things about tax day, but if resolving back taxes is still a puzzle to you, contact our tax relief attorneys. They can help you resolve any outstanding debt in the most financially advantageous way possible so that you can move forward free of the burden. Ireland exempts up to 50,000 euros in profits from the sale of qualified artistic work from income taxes.

However, the IRS strongly recommends electronic filing for speed, accuracy, and faster refunds. Individuals who miss the payment deadline may be subject to a failure-to-pay penalty along with interest charges on the amount due. An exception might be allowed if you’re experiencing hardship and file a special extension. Single filers under age 65 do not need to file if their gross income was less than $14,600, but they may miss out on a potential refund if they do not file. For single filers above age 65, that limit is $16,550.

Complaints often center around the complexity and perceived unfairness of the tax system. Nonetheless, most taxpayers submit their returns honestly. Following several adjustments in recent years, 2025 is expected to be relatively stable. Standard deductions and tax rates have been slightly adjusted for inflation, but no major changes are anticipated.

Tax-day trivia to make your April 15 a little more fun

You may also deduct a portion of your homeowner’s insurance if you work from home and have a home office. Terms and conditions, features, support, pricing, and service options subject to change without notice. Plus, unlimited tax advice all year—Our tax experts are available on demand to answer your tax questions, year-round. In Computer Science and Economics from Carnegie Mellon University, an M.S. In Information Technology – Software Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, as well as a Masters in Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University.

Tax Day is the final date when individual federal tax returns and tax payments are due. It usually falls on April 15 each year in the United States. If the 15th falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline is the following business day. In 1913, Congress levied a one percent tax on net personal incomes above $3,000, with a six percent surtax on incomes above $500,000. As the nation sought greater revenue to finance the World War I effort, the top rate of the income tax rose to 77 percent. According to TurboTax, the chance of having the IRS find an error on your hand-prepared tax return is 21%!

The tax may be due as soon as the drug is in their possession, meaning someone caught with drugs may have to pay a fine for unpaid taxes on top of punishment for their other crimes. To pay the tax anonymously, dealers can buy tax stamps and affix them to containers of controlled substances. The IRSpays people to provide information on someone who did not pay taxes. The whistleblower can get up to 30% of what the IRS collects in back taxes, penalties, and interest. Even celebritiesand business tycoons run into problems when they don’t pay their taxes. While some people cite unintentional mishaps when the IRS audits them, others have made it a point not to pay taxes.

• These states are Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.
• Aside from the Civil War tax on the Union states, Congress passed a national income tax in 1894, which was ruled unconstitutional the following year by the U.S.
• Others believe they can form a trust to hide taxable income.
• These individuals don’t pay fewer taxes, but they do get an extension on their filing deadlines.
• Taxes, and our obligations with respect to them, are almost like living, breathing entities.

In 1698, Russia’s Peter the Great introduced a beard tax. Tax officers were assaulted and tarred and feathered for trying to do their jobs, and several people were killed during riots. The rebellion was eventually quashed in 1794, and the whiskey tax remained in effect until 1802, when Thomas Jefferson repealed it. He was sought after by other law enforcement agencies for a multitude of crimes.