Senatvs Consvlta

Q. Fabius' Tax proposal for the citizens of Nova Roma.

I. The Amount

The amount will be set by the Senate. The Senate will set the due amount on a province by province basis based on information forwarded by the provincial praetors on what their average citizen will be able to pay. If no Praetor is available, a Quaestor will contact those individuals for their input, or they may be given forgiveness if there are too many to contact. The Senate may rise or lower amounts depending on the provincial praetor's reports for that fiscal year. Once amount is set it remains in force for that fiscal year.

II Requirements:

In order to obtain a GNP for the nation of Rome, the citizens will be taxed in the following manners.

A. Citizen Tax:
All Roman citizens will be eligible to pay their set amount. Those who wish to be actively involved in Roman Politics, i.e., the holding of magistracies, they must have their due amounts paid so they are in good standing. Citizens of Rome, who do not or cannot pay their due amount still receive protection under Roman law and they are treated the same as the Roman citizens in "good standing" except they may not stand for magistracies. They still may hold religious offices, take part in debates, attend the chatroom, and vote. Citizens may recover their good standing by paying their current owed amount for that fiscal year. There will never be any additional money that must be made up.

B. The Tax on Sales.
Merchants doing business in Nova Roma's Mecelleum are required to give a percentage from each transaction to the Roman Treasury. This percentage will be set by the Censors at the start of the Roman fiscal year. It can never exceed 10% of the total sale

C. The Emergency Levy
The Roman State, (The Consuls & Senate) if in a Financial Crisis, may call on all Senators, Patricians and Magistrates to contribute additional monies to the Treasury in addition to their usual sum. This contribution is entirely voluntary, and failure to meet it will not result in any reduction of status. There may be a drop in stature among their peers, however.

D. Donations
Donations to the Roman State are welcomed and encouraged. However such donations do not forgive the basic tax which will still have to paid.

II. Procedure.

By the start of the month of the Roman Saturnalia (December) will be the end of collection period for the bulk of monies. Citizens may began to pay at the beginning of Sexilis (August). If their amount is not paid by the start of November (the Kalendis Novembribus) from that point on their status in not in good standing, and will so be noted. Citizens that do not remit the amount at the beginning of the period (Sexilis through Novemberes) will have to send their sum directly to the Treasury of Rome. Note that this means that they still must pay the current amount when the time for it falls due.

III. Collection

There are two ways the citizens may pay. Send to the citizen's Provincial Praetor during the gathering period of the months of Sextilis to Novemberes or with no Praetor available directly to the Roman Treasury during the same period.

The amount must be in US dollars. Therefore, Non US provinces will have to convert the money into a money order. American Express seems to be the cheapest way to do this, and this is why the Provincial Praetor should be the collector. Once the money has been gathered, this officer can convert these into a single money order to be sent to the Roman Treasury.

Praetors will authorized to take the conversation charge for the money order from the sum. Praetors will also be authorized to retain 10% of the gathered sum to compensate for their trouble. This will be returned to the province as the Praetor and his staff see fit.

Non US provincial citizens who have no Praetor to send the amount to will have to send it directly to the Roman Treasury. If the amount is sent during the months Sextilis to Novemberes the citizen will be authorized to take the money order cost from the sum, to encourage timely compliance. If after the period the additional amount must be paid. (Consider it a penalty)

IV. Forgiveness.

A. New citizens entering Rome, are forgiven payment (except on sales) for the period of one year. They are considered members in good standing until the year is completed. They then fall under the obligation.

B. Additional Forgiveness
There are Provinces that may not be able to pay the decreed amount due to Natural Disasters, Military Coups, etc. Forgiveness may be extended by the Senate to provinces for reasons that would be germane at the time.

C. While all our Provincial Praetors are good people, there is always the chance that temptation will strike and the Praetor not send the money forward, keeping it for himself. If this would happen, those citizens in that province would be given forgiveness for that year. Rome would have to deal with the treacherous Praetor.

In the future Praetors may have to be bonded, but right now the amounts handled are fairly small so no bonding should be needed.

Passed, Yes-9; No-3; Abstain-0

11/09/2000

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