Tax Evasion -or- Black Market in the Global Village
The Underground Economy -or- The IRS
In Canada, most of the time when we buy something like gas, or a car, we pay sales tax. In America, the American Revolution was triggered in part by the Boston Tea Party, which protested against the British parliament's taxation of tea, via the "Tea Act". In modern America, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the taxman who collects taxes, investigates tax evasion and enforces the Internal Revenue Code. Needless to say, not everyone wants to pay taxes, giving rise to tax evasion, which is part of the "black market" aka underground economy.
The usual penalty for tax evasion, are fines and/or prison time. Here is a dream of a teenager, that over-dramatizes how the American government invokes the fear of capital punishment in its citizens for not paying taxes;
Ami, 17 American
I had a dream the other night and it started out that I was at my best friend's house. Her name is Tiffany and she lives with her mom, brother and sister. During the dream I found out that the government was upset that so many people owed them money. They decided they would give the people who owed money to the government 2 months to pay it back. At the end of the 2 months who ever had not paid it back would have to deal directly with the government.
OK so... I was at my friends house, her whole family was there. All of a sudden someone came banging on the door. My friend's mother answered the door and a large gentlemen started yelling at her and told her to gather her family. They asked me who I was and I told them my name and last name... they checked me off the list and said that I was fine and to go back inside. They took her family outside and shot all of them. After that I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep.
Nothing Is Sure, But Death and Taxes -or- Black List, Enemies List, Watch List
One of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Benjamin Franklin's phrase; "In this world nothing is certain, except death and taxes" seems applicable to your dream. The capital punishment that you envision however is excessive, unless of course the money owed was not to the government. The fact that the American government has a list, is not surprising, given the increasing surveillance we all are under. Good news, you have been "checked off the list", so you can be assured to sleep soundly.
Sending your dream via the internet, and this dream interpretation is part and parcel of "digital footprints". The American government had leading up to the 21th century kept different lists; a black list, President Richard Nixon had an "enemies list", then since 9/11 there is the "No Fly List". From a more international perspective, there also is Interpol's Terrorism watch list.
On a final note on the Beatles musical "set list" which includes "Taxman" seems to fit sentiment of your dream (watch Beatles music video).