In ancient Athens, only the richest people paid taxes directly, and the taxes were used to fund the most important expenses of the city-state-the navy and gods. As surprising as it may sound today, most of these taxpayers not only happily paid their taxes, but also boasted about how much they paid. Money was as important to ancient Athenians as it is today, so what caused such an enthusiastic response to a huge tax bill? Athens’ financial elite reaped an invaluable reward: the respect of fellow citizens of a democratic state. In America today, where an estimated $1 in every $6 in taxes goes unpaid, big corporations and wealthy citizens do everything in their power to reduce their tax bills. The Athenians would laugh at such behavior.
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