The Cheese Tax began as an original song posted on TikTok in early 2023 by musician Matt Hobbs, inspired by his golden retriever puppy who appeared whenever cheese was opened. The repeated chorus and simple acoustic arrangement made it easy to repost, duet and soundtrack other people's pets, and dog owners quickly adopted it as a shared joke. Clips of dogs waiting patiently by fridges helped it spread beyond TikTok to other short video platforms, where it remains a go-to cue for cheese-loving pets.