Money & Markets
Why did the richest ancient Greeks voluntarily pay high taxes?Imagine a progressive tax–in other words, a tax that falls on those most able to pay; a tax that results in the rich paying–quite voluntarily–more than they are obliged, instead of trying to avoid it; a tax that’s spent according to the wishes of the person who paid it; a tax that involves little bureaucracy. We have a great deal to thank the Ancient Greeks for: to mathematics, science, drama and philosophy, add their taxation system–or rather, lack of–to the list.