Taxation in ancient Egypt

The taxation struck the Egyptians heavily.

At the time lagide

The Ptolémées quickly included/understood all the interest which they could draw from the ic heritage Pharaon in the field of the institutions and in particular in that of the tax system that they partly adopted with their profit. Partly only, because, with regard to the taxes, Lagides innovated much, being inspired sometimes also Athenian precedents on the matter. It results from it a system extremely developed and complex, not only because of its multiform aspect, but as by the constant modifications, as documentation only lets to us foresee.

Applied initially to Athens to the IV E, the system of the leasing was adapted to the local conditions by the Lagides, which entrusted to the treasurers, financial persons in charge of the royal incomes on a scale names, the good walk of the procedure. This one was held in the following way: chosen by the treasurer among the candidates highest offerer, farmers, of the Greeks, the Egyptians or the Jews - sometimes called telônai as in Athens committed themselves providing to the royal Treasury a sum agreed upon in advance and was then occupied to perceive the tax for which they had engaged. When the perceived sums exceeded the fixed amount, they kept for them the difference. This soft food made it possible to find volunteers, but those were very few because they risked, the bad years, to see their own real richness, placed in pledge, seized by the royal services.

In addition to the leasing, there was a great number of taxes which touched all the fields, to start with work in all its forms. To be able to exert certain trades, it was necessary to discharge cheironasion , and the vine growers were to transfer a sixth of the product of their grounds. A certain number of taxes had precise goals, like the chômatikon , for the maintenance of the dams, the phylakititon for the police force, the iatrikon which was used to remunerate the public doctors. The least border, even between two name, was the occasion of additional taking away.

Censuses were carried out and were used as a basis for other taxes like the haliké , tax on salt, that all were to pay except for the children. The subjects of the sovereigns lagides owed moreover drudgeries at the central services.

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