All the following are the canons of taxation given by Adam Smith except

Analyze the question: You're asked to find the option that is NOT one of Adam Smith's canons (principles) of taxation.

Concept: Adam Smith's Four Canons of Taxation (from The Wealth of Nations)

1. Equity (Equality/Ability to pay): Tax should be fair, based on a person's ability to pay.
2. Certainty: The taxpayer should know how much to pay, when to pay, and how to pay. It should not be arbitrary.
3. Convenience: Tax should be collected at a time and in a manner convenient for the taxpayer (e.g. PAYE from salary).
4. Economy: The cost of collecting the tax should be small compared to the revenue it raises.

Check each option:

• A. Objective: not one of Smith's canons.
• B. Economy: a canon.
• C. Convenience: a canon.
• D. Certainty: a canon.

Tip: Remember the canons with ECEC: Equity, Certainty, Economy, Convenience. Any word outside this list, like "objective" or "productivity," is the "except" answer. (Later economists added canons such as productivity, elasticity, and flexibility, but "objective" isn't among them.)