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A fee imposed on individuals, corporations, or trusts by a government entity. The purpose of a tax is to collect funds to pay for public needs and services. In the United States, taxes are collected at the local, federal, and state levels, and each respective level has established agencies to deal with tax enforcement and collection. Failure to pay taxes can result in fines and/or prison time. British taxes levied on American colonists were a leading trigger of the Revolutionary War; “No taxation without representation” became a war cry. These taxes included the Sugar Act (1764), which placed a fee on foreign refined sugar, and the Stamp Act (1765), which required a British stamp or seal, for a fee, to be placed on public and ...