Who performed the first tax audit?
Actually, nobody ever asked me this question, but I found it interesting so I thought you might like to know. The process evolved in medieval England where an abacus type device, resembling a checkerboard, was used to tabulate the royal debits and credits. When the counting board became obsolete it was replaced by a table with a checkered tablecloth. The revenue agents of that time sat around this table to discuss official business maters, and to hear related pleas. Because of the checkered tablecloth this department of the British government became known as the “Exchequer.” To this day, the national finance minister of England is known as the “Chancellor of the Exchequer.” The medieval “Exchequer” also used some kind of listening device to keep the taxpayers honest. Apparently, all of the British subjects would line up on April 15 of every year in order to make “required contributions” to the tax collector. The “Exchequer” would listen to the sound that the coins made as they were dep
