What was the Roman tax on urine collected from public urinals called?

The Roman tax on urine collected from public urinals was called vectigal urinae.

In ancient Rome, urine had commercial value because its ammonia content could help clean and process materials. Fullers used it to wash wool and cloth, and tanners could use urine in leather production. Public urinals therefore became a source of taxable material rather than mere sanitation facilities.

The tax is associated especially with Emperor Vespasian, who ruled from AD 69 to 79. Ancient sources describe his son Titus objecting to revenue connected with urine. Vespasian reportedly held up money received from the tax and asked whether its smell was offensive; this story is linked to the Latin phrase pecunia non olet, meaning “money does not smell.”

The exact administrative details are less certain than the famous anecdote. Roman taxation included many other charges, such as customs duties and inheritance taxes, so vectigal urinae should not be confused with the portorium, a customs tax. The urine levy is remembered because it combined an unusual taxable commodity with a durable historical quotation.