In 1926, Vladimir Mayakovsky undertook one of his final radical escapades: he published the poem "A Conversation with a Tax Inspector About Poetry." It is more than just a hymn to the art of poetry or a biting mockery of bureaucracy; the work also reveals matters of a highly "delicate" nature—specifically, a level of income for a writer that was entirely beyond the reach of the average Soviet citizen. The poem was released as a standalone volume, designed by Alexander Rodchenko, and later appeared in the journal *Novy Mir*. Many of its lines subsequently became household phrases. "A Conversation with a Tax Inspector About Poetry" functions simultaneously as a literary manifesto, a socio-political declaration, a quasi-financial statement, a provocative gesture, and an invective directed at a faceless official—articulated with undisguised sarcasm and barely contained fury. This attempt to grapple with the "leviathan" left the poet disheartened: not only was his tax burden not reduced, but it was increased nearly fivefold—pushing him to the brink of financial ruin.

This edition presents Mayakovsky’s provocative manifesto with extensive commentary and a facsimile reproduction. It offers a detailed analysis of the poet’s struggle with the tax authorities, features unique financial documents from the State V. V. Mayakovsky Museum (including tax returns and previously unknown letters and statements written by the poet), and compiles various caricatures and parodies of Mayakovsky that touch upon the subject of his earnings.