Salt tax

A salt tax was a tax levied directly on salt, usually proportional to the amount of salt purchased. In ancient times, salt was extremely valuable as a preservant. Words such as salary are derived from the same root as salt and indicate its vitality to civilizations. As an example, ancient "salaries" could literally be quantities of salt.

Due to the scarcity and importance of salt, levying a tax on its commerce was extremely lucrative, but also widely despised and controversial.

Notable examples of salt taxation throughout history include:

• The French Gabelle, which was a contributing factor to the French Revolution
• The salt tax in China at various times including that under the Salt Commission of Tang and Yuan China.
• The salt tax in India including that under the British. Mahatma Gandhi protested this with the Salt March, and it was a contributing factor to the Indian independence movement.
• A Russian salt tax led to an uprising known as the Moscow uprising of 1648.
• The solărit tax in the Principality of Moldavia during the 16th-18th century.

Salt tax in alternate form

In 2014, it is still illegal in certain provinces of China to use salt from a neighbor city.^[1]

References