Countdowns

6 Odd Historical Tax Facts

That collective groan being heard around the country can only mean one thing -- it' s tax time! The painful tradition of modern income tax collection in the United States is 96 years old this month, though the federal government had dabbled in it on and off since the Civil War as a way of balancing the books when money was tight. From the early days when the tax wasn't even collected to the incredible 94 percent rate paid during one period, here are six things you probably didn't know about the system's history. Heather Whipps, LiveScience's History Today columnist.