A salt tax is literally a tax levied directly on salt, usually proportional to the amount of salt purchased (e.g. by the pound). 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 rarity and importance of salt, levying a tax on its commerce was extremely lucrative, but also widely despised and controversial.
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Famous quotes containing the words salt and/or tax:
“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.”
—Bible: New Testament, Matthew 5:13.
“What is the difference between a taxidermist and a tax collector? The taxidermist takes only your skin.”
—Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910)