Tax collector

Tax collectors are often portrayed negatively, and in the modern world share a similar stereotype to that of lawyers.

[citation needed] Historically taxes were collected directly by the King or ruler of a State.

As states and administrative regions grew larger this task was outsourced to aristocrats or dedicated tax collectors.

In the Roman Republic, taxes were collected from individuals based on the value of their total property.

They were reviled by the Jews of Jesus' day because of their perceived greed and collaboration with the Roman occupiers.