Certain styles of building could be the result of creative genius or… tax policy. Here are some examples of architectural design influenced to get around tax laws of the time:1
- In the 18th and 19th centuries in England, France, and Ireland, taxes on windows led building owners to brick over existing windows to avoid paying the tax.
- Narrow houses in Amsterdam were a response to a 16th century building tax that was calculated based on the width of the building’s façade.
- Paris taxes that were levied on the number of floors below the roof line could be lowered by a Mansard-style roof.
- In present day Greece, properties with pools are subject to a luxury tax, causing some pool owners to dye the water green so the pool is less visible from satellites searching for pools to tax.
