Have you paid your beard tax?
july 2022
Henry VIII is famous for a lot of things…
There was, of course, his many wives and his appetite for beheading anyone who stood in the way of his plans…
He established the Church of England, dramatically grew The Royal Navy and fathered three of England’s future rulers.
But that’s not all he did…
As an iron-fist ruler, with a love of a good execution, rumour has it that he brought in some weird and wacky rules too.
Like the beard tax.
Our old buddy Henry had a beard. He loved his beard and apparently he didn’t want anyone else to have one just like him. So he introduced a beard tax! That’s right! Anyone sporting facial hair in 1535 had to pay for the privilege.
Now, while the murmurs of a “beard tax” have been around for a while, historians haven’t been able to find solid evidence for it – only hearsay and rumour.
So did it really happen? Who knows?!?
But what I do know is that even today there are some crazy taxes. Understanding the taxes for your own country can be tough enough, but when you start moving goods around the world, that’s when things can get really complex. From import taxes and VAT to fuel surcharges, fog charges and even moustache charges (OK I made that one up!). There’s no end to the charges you need to be aware of.
The good news is that when you work with a freight forwarder like us, we don’t just move your stuff- we help and advise you along the way too. Making sure you get clear, transparent pricing and you know what taxes and fees to expect to pay.
So how about you? What weird and wacky surcharges have you come across? I’d love to hear about them…