The most insidious kind of (often overlooked) tax upon the citizens of a country (the USA) is inflation. Only a government's debt creation and/or printing of money can cause inflation. Private spending does not cause inflation; consumerism does not create inflation; a private company's wage increases does not manufacture any inflation.

Only governments can legally counterfeit or debase their own currency; it's called fiat money because nothing of value, such as gold, silver or other commodities, ever backs it up, only the raw force and power of the State supports the economic tyranny of fiat money.