During the year 1885 there were many Chinese people trying to get into Canada. The government passed a law called the Chinese Immigration Act. This law stated that any person of Chinese origin who wanted to enter the country had to pay the government a $500 fee that was called the "head tax." You pay an admission fee when you go to the movies, swimming pool, and the fair. That could also be called a head tax. From 1885-1923 the Federal Government collected about $123-million from this tax.
