I think George Washington imposed a tax on distilling alcohol. Whiskey Rebellion or something like that. I would imagine that involved some sort of permit, too.
“I think George Washington imposed a tax on distilling alcohol. Whiskey Rebellion or something like that. I would imagine that involved some sort of permit, too.”
That is for amounts that they were going to sell. Not personal consumption.
No permit was involved. The tax, which was constitutional, was IIRC an excise tax.
Problem was, that Whisky was for many the only “currency” they effectively had access to. I consider a modern counterpart the abominable practice of charging sales tax on gold or silver bullion or coin.
It is a simple fact that the Constitution expressly forbids the States to use anything but gold or silver coin and calling federal reserve notes “money” does not annul the Constitution. In fact the claim made on each and every reserve note, that these are legal tender for all public debts, is a lie pure and simple.
So when a State imposes a sales tax of gold or silver that are basically imposing a tax on acquiring Money ... the only Money that they should be permitted to do business with in fact.
“Whiskey Rebellion or something like that.”
Yeah. New government put a tax on distilled spirits. West of the Appalachians whiskey was used as currency. The fed. tax in effect taxed all financial transactions in the Ohio river valley hence the revolt. Distiller and CIC Washington used troops to put it down, leading them himself.