Salt tax

A salt tax was a tax levied directly on salt, usually proportional to the amount of salt purchased. 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 scarcity and importance of salt, levying a tax on its commerce was extremely lucrative, but also widely despised and controversial.

Notable examples of salt taxation throughout history include:

• The French Gabelle, which was a contributing factor to the French Revolution
• The salt tax in China at various times including that under the Tang and the Mongol Yuan.
• The salt tax in India including that under the British. Gandhi protested this with the Salt March, and it was a contributing factor to the Indian Revolution.
• A Russian salt tax led to an uprising known as the Salt Riot.

Salt tax in alternate form

In 2014, it is still illegal in certain provinces of China to use salt from a neighbor city.