Men's and women's fashion in the 19th century. From 1784 to 1811, the "hat tax" was in effect in England
Among the strangest taxes in history, we can certainly also include the hat tax.
That's right:for a while, men who wanted to complete their look with a top hat, cap or flat cap, they had to pay tribute to the state.
We can imagine with what joy.
It happened in England in the late 1700s and early 1800s , where, apparently, inventing bizarre taxes became a custom ( see also :https://www.pilloledistoria.it/13131/storia-moderna/tassa-sulle-parrucche-fine- age-e-moda).
The amount to be paid depended on the type of headgear used.
At the time of payment, the citizen was given a receipt which had to be maintained and, precisely, applied to the lining of the hat itself.
In the event of checks, it was thus possible to prove that they were in order.
Moreover, it was a question that was anything but trivial and certainly not one that could be taken lightly.
The sanctions provided for those who did not comply with this obligation, in fact, they could be very severe, up to the death penalty.
We are ready to bet that there were very few daredevils who risked their lives just to forge the receipt.
The hat tax was in effect from 1784 to 1811 ( Photo from :missdarcy.it).