War tax due stamp facts for kids
A war tax due stamp was a special kind of stamp used during wartime. It was put on mail when a required war tax had not been paid by the person sending the letter. These stamps helped postal services collect money that was owed.
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What Are War Tax Due Stamps?
War tax due stamps are a mix of two things: a war tax and a postage due stamp. During a war, governments sometimes add extra taxes to things, including mail. This extra money helps pay for the war effort.
How They Worked
Normally, when you send a letter, you put a postage stamp on it to show you've paid the fee. During wartime, some countries also required a special "war tax" to be paid on letters.
- If the sender paid the war tax, they would put a specific war tax stamp on the letter. This showed the tax was paid.
- But what if the sender forgot or didn't pay the war tax? That's where the war tax due stamp came in!
Paying the Unpaid Tax
If a letter arrived at the postal service without the war tax paid, postal workers would add a war tax due stamp to it. This stamp told the person receiving the letter that they needed to pay the missing tax. Often, the person receiving the letter had to pay double the amount that was originally owed. This encouraged senders to pay the tax upfront.
Where Were They Used?
War tax due stamps were used in different places during various conflicts. In Romania, for example, these stamps were issued between 1915 and 1921. This period covers much of World War I and the years immediately after.
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