April 2026
Upcoming Dates:
April 15 - Individual income tax returns for 2025 are due - First quarter 2026 estimated tax payments are due
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nniversaries have a way of bringing forgotten pieces of history back into view. As the United States marks 250 years of independence in 2026, we're reminded that money has shaped our national story in surprising and sometimes strange ways. In this month’s newsletter, test your own knowledge about the history of taxes in America.
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ANNUAL TAX QUIZ -AMERICAN HISTORY EDITION
This year marks 250 years of American independence, which also means two-and-a-half centuries of spirited debate over taxes. From the nation’s earliest days, revenue has been raised in inventive, controversial, and occasionally head-scratching ways, often followed closely by creative attempts to avoid it. To mark this anniversary, our annual tax quiz explores the lesser-known, stranger corners of U.S. tax history. • In the 1790s, the federal government imposed a tax that sparked armed resistance in western Pennsylvania. What was the tax actually on? A. Horse ownership B. Whiskey distillation C. Imported tea D. Playing cards B – The Whiskey Tax wasn’t aimed at casual drinkers but at distillers, many of whom were small frontier farmers turning grain into shelfstable income. To them, the tax felt like a coastal money grab, and protests escalated into the Whiskey Rebellion. George Washington personally led troops to put it down, proving two things early on – the federal government would enforce tax laws, and Americans would complain loudly about them. • During the Civil War, Congress briefly experimented with a federal income tax. What was one unexpected thing taxpayers were allowed to deduct? A. Bribes paid to avoid the draft B. The cost of hired farm labor C. Losses from shipwrecks D. Beard-grooming expenses C – Shipwreck losses. In an era when commerce moved by sea and river, losing a shipment to a wreck was a real business risk. The government recognized this long before it figured out depreciation schedules or standardized forms. Sadly for the bearded, personal grooming never made the cut. • In the early nineteenth century, tariffs were the federal government’s main revenue source. Which item was once considered so politically dangerous to tax that it helped trigger a constitutional crisis?
A. Wool coats B. Iron nails C. Imported hats D. Cheap British textiles D – Cheap British textiles. Protective tariffs raised prices on imported cloth to support American manufacturers, but Southern states relied heavily on imports and exports. The resulting tariff fights fueled the Nullification Crisis, where South Carolina flirted with ignoring federal law entirely. It turns out fabric can tear a nation, metaphorically and almost literally. • Before payroll withholding existed, how did many Americans pay their income taxes during World War II? A. By mailing cash in envelopes B. Through quarterly visits from IRS agents C. In a single painful lump sum D. With war bonds only C – One lump sum. Taxpayers were expected to save throughout the year and then pay all at once, which went about as well as you’d expect. Withholding was introduced partly to fund the war efficiently and partly to stop widespread shock, confusion, and strongly worded letters to Washington, D.C. • In 1895 the Supreme Court ruled a federal income tax was unconstitutional. What was the main reason? A. It unfairly targeted farmers B. It violated states’ rights
C. It wasn’t apportioned among the states D. Congress forgot to define income