These are from CNBC.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/38960761?slide=2
[Each entry has more text, I share only the "above the fold" text here.
Sliced Bagel Tax
Ah, morning. A time to pick up a fresh bagel with cream cheese – and your first tax of the day.
New York, a leader in wacky taxes, said it plans to enforce a weird tax law that requires delis and other vendors to impose an extra tax on sliced bagels or bagels consumed in stores. (If you buy a whole bagel and slice it at home, it doesn’t count.) ...
Candy Tax
OK, who’s next on the tax hit list? Ah, yes. The children.
Several states, including Illinois, Washington and Colorado, now have a tax on candy.
The sticky part, apparently, has been defining “candy”: Lawmakers in Washington have narrowed it down to any product comprised of sugar or other sweetener, along with fruits, ...
Tanning Tax
Here’s a tax that did the unthinkable: It brought John McCain and Snooki from the Jersey Shore together.
The tanning tax, a provision in the heath-care reform bill, charges an extra 10 percent on people who use indoor tanning beds, like the cast of the Jersey Shore, where the mantra is GTL (gym, tanning, laundry). ...
Pole Tax
This next tax is … bow chica bow wow … controversial! ...
Texas implemented a “pole tax,” charging patrons $5 on to enter a strip club. The state collected over $13 million (that’s a lotta one-dollar bills!) from the tax, though it was later ruled unconstitutional. A similar tax has been proposed in New York and Utah. ...
911 Tax
If you dial 9-1-1, that’s a free call. You know why? Because you’ve already paid for it!
In fact, you may have paid for it twice. The federal government charges a 911 tax on all phone bills but some states also charge a 911 tax.
The funds are supposed to go toward upgrading and maintaining emergency phone ...
Cow Flatulence Tax
Admittedly, this sounds like something out of the Ministry of Silly Taxes, a bureau run by 12-year old boys, but cow taxes have actually been proposed all over the world – including in the U.S. as part of the Clean Air Act.
Beans may be the most famous gastrointestinal menace but for cows, grass is the “musical fruit.”
The Mix-Tape Tax
Several countries, including the U.S., Canada and much of Europe, now charge a tax on blank CDs, DVDs and in some cases the recording equipment itself, to protect copyrights and royalty agreements.
It’s been called the “you must be a criminal” tax because it assumes that when you buy a blank CD, you’re going to do something illegal with it.
Drug Dealer Tax
Who says “crime doesn’t pay”?
In more than 20 states, there’s a tax on the sale of illegal drugs and it pays (the government) quite well.
Of course, few dealers actually pay this tax, dubbed the “crack tax,” in advance. But it’s proven a lucrative source of revenue as states can collect it after the individual has been ...
Window Tax [UK]
If you notice an unusually large number of filled-in windows in the U.K., here’s why: In the 17th and 18th centuries, they used to tax people based on the number of windows they had.
There was an income tax but when the people protested having to disclose such personal information as income, the government simply said: Fine. We’ll tax you by the window, then.
Flush Tax
Maryland earned its place in the toilet humor hall of fame in 2005, when it started charging residents a tax for using public sewage systems to raise money to upgrade the systems.
The “flush tax” as it quickly became known “turned everyone’s toilets into pay toilets,” The website “Homeland Stupidity” quipped.
The Jock Tax
Sure, athletes and rock stars live the life, sleeping in a different city each night – but they pay for it.
Many states now charge them a tax for earning money in a state other than their own.
The “jock tax,” as it’s now known, can be traced back to Michael Jordan: After the Bulls beat the Lakers in a 1991 championship game,...
[this isn't only for athletes and rock stars. Business people also have to do this, as Rush did before he left New York earlier this year, for good.]
Sparkler Tax
Some states, like Alabama and Texas, tax fireworks but only in West Virginia do they call out sparklers, those crackling sticks that make children giggle, for a special tax.
West Virginia charges retailers a 6 percent tax on " sparklers and novelties,” even though fireworks aren’t technically legal there.
And the tax payers’ red glare!
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