15 Totally Bizarre U.S. Taxes

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January 30 marks the official start of the 2013 tax season. And what better way to celebrate tax season than to honor our nation's complex and utterly bizarre tax code?

Check out some of the weirdest U.S. tax laws below:

• Sliced Bagel Tax

  You might want to think twice about getting that schmear. In New York City, bagels that are sliced or prepared are subject to sales tax, whereas whole bagels are not, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704340504575448033463314628.html">according to</a> the Wall Street Journal.

• Pet Tax

  If you live in Durham, North Carolina, you could be <a href="http://blog.turbotax.intuit.com/2011/01/03/americas-most-bizarre-taxes/">paying a tax on Rover</a>. The state charges a $10 tax for neutered and spayed pets and $75 for pets that are not neutered or spayed, according to Turbo Tax.

• Candy Tax

  In Illinois, all <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/thomson-reuters-reports-2012-quirky-tax-laws-2013-01-28">candies are subject to an extra tax</a>, unless they contain flour, like the Whopper pictured here.

• Elderly Tax Exemption

  By the time you're 100, <a href="http://www.efile.com/unusual-strange-funny-taxes-throughout-the-world-and-history/">you've paid enough in taxes</a>, at least according to the state of New Mexico, where people over 100 years old are tax-exempt.

• Flush Tax

  If it's yellow, let it mellow could be the motto of some Maryland and Virginia residents looking to save money. In these two states there's a <a href="http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/2-minute-tax-tips-weird-taxes/1zyohv7aj?from=gallery_en-us&cpkey=626b3129-89f2-5b5b-1fb7-b9a5bfa67758%257c%257c%257c%257c">tax on flushing the toilet</a>, according to Bing.

• Crack Tax

  Tennessee <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6861075">anonymously collects a tax on illegal drugs</a>, according to NPR. In 2006, the state collected $1.5 million from the tax.

• Diaper Tax

  Adult diapers <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/thomson-reuters-reports-2012-quirky-tax-laws-2013-01-28">are exempt from sales tax in Connecticut</a>, but if you're buying diapers for your kids you'll have to pay taxes on those, according to Thomson Reuters.

• Napkin Tax

  Colorado levies a tax on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-5-weirdest-sales-taxes-we-could-find-2012-1">"non essential" food packaging</a> items, according to Business Insider. That means you'll pay a tax on paper cup lids and napkins, but not on paper cups themselves.

• Sex Tax

  Businesses in Utah that employ nude or partly nude workers are required to pay a <a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/slideshows/the-10-strangest-state-taxes/11">10 percent sales tax</a>, according to U.S. News and World Report.

• Card Deck Tax

  If you buy cards in Alabama you'll <a href="http://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/General-Tax-Tips/7-Crazy-Taxes-from-the-US-and-Abroad/INF12163.html">pay a 10 cent tax</a> on the deck, according to Turbo Tax. Meanwhile, Nevada gives free decks in exchange for completed returns.

• Holiday Decorations Tax

  In Texas, holiday-themed pictures that are <a href="http://www.efile.com/unusual-strange-funny-taxes-throughout-the-world-and-history/">meant to be placed on walls</a> are taxed, according to efile.com.

• Tattoo Tax

  In Arkansas, there's a <a href="http://blog.turbotax.intuit.com/2011/01/03/americas-most-bizarre-taxes/">6 percent sales tax on tattoos</a>, according to Turbo Tax.

• Litigation Tax

  New York has <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Business/strangest-taxes-50-states/story?id=16089204&page=2">a tax on litigation</a>, according to ABC News.

• Hot Air Balloon Tax

  In Kansas, you have to pay <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Business/strangest-taxes-50-states/story?id=16089204&page=2">taxes on that hot air balloon</a> ride -- or risk flying away. In that state tethered balloons are taxed, but those that roam free are not because they are considered a legitimate form of transportation, according to ABC.

• Fresh Fruit Vending Machine Tax

  Another reason not to buy your fruit from a vending machine. Fresh fruit is exempt from sales tax in California, unless <a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/slideshows/the-10-strangest-state-taxes/5">it's sold from a vending machine</a>, according to U.S. News and World Report.

Also on HuffPost:

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April is fast approaching, which means taxes are on the brain for many Americans. But these bizarre taxes, which are levied on everything from puppies to paper napkins, will likely surprise some. ...

April is fast approaching, which means taxes are on the brain for many Americans. But these bizarre taxes, which are levied on everything from puppies to paper napkins, will likely surprise some. ...

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/30/bizarre-taxes_n_2568334.html

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