The Worldbuilding community has released a post asking us to talk about Taxes and how they are used and collected and what the punishment is for not paying taxes in our stories. Here's A Link To The Worldbuilding Post.
Taxes are an interesting subject to talk about in fiction, while it could be boring if I were to focus on taxes in one of the stories I.E, following some tax collector, or some government employee while they go through paperwork... actually, you know, maybe it could be made into an entertaining story somehow... I don't know really.
I do think however that taxes should be an important factor in our writing, as it is such a big part of our own world.
The Confederation
In a story, which I'm currently writing as I can't get the idea out of my head; taxes are going to be a big reason for the series of events which takes place, and the characters in the story will be thrust and react to the situation that they find themselves in.
The idea is that there is a planet known as Hybris, which sent people to the stars when they discovered inter-solar flight, this breakthrough, gave way to the option of colonising worlds, allowing them to grow their dominion.
It was a necessary strive forward for the people of Hybris, as they were under immense pressure and a huge burden on their own world. Food was scarce, their resources were depleting and their population was far greater than they could sustain.
As they reached the new world, they erected the first settlements and were able to start the new colony. This colony was called New Hybris, and after this world, they colonised another which they called Thetis.
Two-Hundred and Seventy-Nine Years later
As the centuries passed by, the planets started to thrive, but, civil unrest and disobedience became a huge problem.
An independence movement started in New Hybris, which rallied the people and sighted their minds on a common goal. Freedom from Hybris; as the people of their old world were unfair and in a lot of ways they were greedy. Taking fifty percent of all of New Hybris's taxes, as well as, food and resources.
Once the movement gained steam, the heads of state on Hybris had no choice but to react, but, their reaction was seen by many, as unjust. As they attacked and leveled much of the planet as a way to beat the people into submission, which didn't work for very long and instead saw the independence movement gain steam. Which then prompted Thetis to act out and defy Hybris too. Ironically, the harsh punishment dished out to New Hybris was only done to try and stop the movement quickly, before Thetis decided to revolt.
Independence
Freedom from the strict taxes was the main reason for the people of New Hybris to revolt, but another huge reason was the fact they were being governed from afar.
Almost all of the leadership of all of these worlds remained on Hybris, and those leaders rarely visited the worlds they governed, and when they were warned about issues and problems, it was far too easy for the leadership to turn a blind eye to concerns.