The government levies taxes on us for a lot of things. But there are places around the world that have gone a little overboard with their taxes.

Here are some of the world’s weirdest taxes imposed on unsuspecting citizens.

1. Bachelor Tax

Singlehood is one’s own choice but in Missouri, USA, there is a legit tax imposed on you if you’re a bachelor. The cost of being single, other than constantly hunting for partners, is $1 every year. But it is only applied to unmarried men, between the ages of 21 to 50.

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2. Pet Tax

If you’re an animal lover in the state of Punjab, you should know that the cost of keeping a pet is not just the mess you have to clean up after them. You also have to pay a sum of Rs 250 per annum for smaller pets and Rs 500 per annum for bigger ones.

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3. Blueberry Tax

In order to save the blueberry industry in Maine, USA, a tax is levied on the fruit to make sure it is not over-harvested. In order to save the fertility rate of the soil and the blueberry industry, the fruit is levied at one and a half penny per pound.

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4. Ice Block Tax

In the state of Arizona, USA, if you need a block of ice to cool down, you’ll have to pay tax for it. But the same tax doesn’t apply to ice cubes so now you know which one to opt for.

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5. Jock Tax

If you thought being an athlete is just the physical part, you’re wrong. In the state of California in the United States, a jock tax is levied on professional athletes on the income earned by them outside of their home city/state.

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6. Pumpkin Tax

If you plan on making use of pumpkins as decorative pieces, you have to pay a sales on it. However, pumpkin as a food is exempted from this tax in New Jersey, USA.

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7. Window Tax

Though no longer implemented, during the 18th and 19th centuries, a few countries in Europe had something known as the Window Tax. The concept was introduced to levy tax on rich people who lived in big mansions. Even cross-ventilation came at a cost!

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8. Tattoo Tax

From the 2002 onwards, Arkansas, USA, levied a sales tax on tattoo services provided by salons. So, if you plan on making your body a walking piece of art, it’s not going to be cheap.

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9. Hat Tax

If you were a man in Britain from 1784 to 1811 with a thing for hats, it wouldn’t have been a cheap hobby. The whole idea revolved around the fact that the richer a man is, the more hats he’ll own.

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10. Toilet Flush Tax

In order to make sure there’s no overconsumption of water unnecessarily, the state of Maryland in USA levies a tax on the number of times you can flush your toilet. An upset stomach could be painful and probably cost you some moolah.

11. Cowardice Tax

While this tax is no longer in play, in the 10th century, England used to impose a ‘cowardice tax’ on people who chose not to join the war for whatever reason they deemed fit. A lot of them gave ‘fear’ as the reason for their absence, hence the name. Being a peaceful man costed people back in the day.

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12. Cow Flatulence Tax

While cows may be considered holy creatures, their farts, not so much. In order to control the effect of cow gas in slaughterhouses which can be highly toxic, Denmark imposes a tax on each cow. The tax can go up to as much as $110.

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GST hi theek hai, bhai.