Tax is complicated business, but at its heart it is a way for the government to generate more revenue. So, when a nation is strapped for cash (or just trying to get that extra bit of cash), some lawmakers have turned to some pretty wacky ideas. In no particular order here are four of the strangest tax laws known to man.

 

Bagel Tax

You read that right. In New York, the state taxes bagels that have been altered in anyway. The grounds from this comes from the fact that an extra tax is placed on food prepared on premises. So, you get that bagel cut, toasted, and filled with a nice spread? That’s about as prepared as you can get, and will cost you an extra .08¢.

Card Tax

No, not greeting cards. Alabama has been charging an extra dime on playing cards since 1935. Make no mistakes, Alabama legislators are serious about this tax, and require an official state revenue stamp on all playing card decks. It’s only limited to decks of up to 54 cards, though.

Window Tax

For this one, we need to take a trip across the pond– and back in time. In 1696, England introduced a tax on windows that lasted for over 150 years. While it seems odd on the surface, it was essentially a wealth tax. This was based on the idea that bigger houses had more windows, and that extra wealth could be a marginal source of revenue for the Crown. It was repealed after enough subjects complained it was a tax on light and air.

Beard Tax

Another gem from history. Back at the turn of the 17th century, Russian Emperor Peter the Great struggled to get his vast empire to conform to the beauty and fashion standards of western Europe. However, he noticed many mean were still attached to their beards. Not to be outdone, he cooked up a way to incentive Russian men to part with their whiskers. Excepting priests, all bearded Russians had to pay a then-hefty tax of 100 Rubles per year!