A salt tax is literally a tax levied directly on salt, usually proportional to the amount of salt purchased (e.g. by the pound). In ancient times, salt was extremely valuable as a preservant, and, in some cultures, nearly worth its weight in gold. Words such as salary are derived from the same root as salt and indicate its vitality to civilizations. As an example, ancient "salaries" could literally be quantities of salt.
Due to the rarity and importance of salt, levying a tax on its commerce was extremely lucrative, but also widely dispised and controversial.
Below are some notable examples of salt taxation throughout history.
| This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. |