Augustus’ Financial Reforms

•reformed provincial taxation:

Republican system:

stipendium: payment made by provinces like Spain and Gaul (fixed)

tithes/pasture dues: paid by provinces like Sicily and Asia (varied according to yield)

collected by publicani

Augustan system:

two main taxes (collected by city authorities rather than by publicani)

tributum capitis: poll tax, paid by all adults in most provinces, sometimes by males only

tributum soli: land tax

•instituted customs levies: 25% at frontiers, 2 1/2 % at provincial boundaries -- these were collected by publicani

•imposed 5% tax on inheritances to finance the aerarium militare (paid by citizens too)

•seems to have retained the Republican aerarium, but allowed greater freedom in how transactions were made

•established the fiscus or provincial treasury

•appoints procurators to oversee the finances of imperials estates