Another favorite tax imposed by government is the so-called "sales" tax.

This tax is imposed at the point in the production cycle where economic exchanges occur, at a time when people have already decided to exchange a portion of their money (a measure of the value of their work) for something else they want or need.

The sales tax is generally a relatively small percentage of the total sale, so the tendency for most people is to shrug and conclude that "an extra few cents won't hurt".

Over time and hundreds or even thousands of exchanges of course, a "few extra cents" here and there tends to add up.  Most people would be shocked to calculate how much they pay out each year in taxes imposed on the items they buy - money they could have used to purchase something else they wanted or needed.

Included within the concept of sales taxes are excise taxes, VAT (Value-Added) taxes, amusement taxes, gasoline taxes, hotel room taxes, cigarette and tobacco taxes, liquor taxes, customs duties, and so on.

As with the income tax, businessmen are required to calculate, collect, document, and submit the taxes collected to government.

Property taxes are imposed on property owned and held by individuals and business.  Most often we think of property taxes as being imposed on real property - land and buildings - but many governments also have annual property taxes that are imposed on the equipment, furnishings, and inventories of businesses - and even individuals.

Make it, sell it, buy it, or hold it - men and women acting as government will eventually find a way to tax it.