British poll tax

It provided for a single flat-rate per-capita tax on every adult, at a rate set by the local authority. The poll tax riots were a series of riots in British towns and cities during protests against the Community Charge (colloquially known as the poll tax), introduced by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. In the case of Great Britain, however, the poll tax was not cappe which resulted in a rise in overall taxation and a drastic shifting of the tax burden from the rich to the poor.

One of the changes she promised to implement was to levy a flat tax that she called a “Community Charge ,” although it became popularly known as the poll tax. A flat tax means that everybody, regardless of wealth, has to pay the same amount.

Head taxes were important sources of revenue for many governments from ancient times until the 19th century. In the United Kingdom, poll taxes were levied by the governments of John of Gaunt in the 14th century, Charles II in the 17th and Margaret Thatcher in the 20th century. In the United States, voting poll taxes have been used to disenfranchise impoverished and minority voters.

And the tax that most closely matches benefits to burden, they argue, is the poll tax. If the switch to a poll tax meant a reduction in taxes on the wealthy at the expense of the middle class, so. Listen to the audio pronunciation in English. African Americans, especially in Southern states.

It was clear that millions just could not afford to pay the poll tax.

Charging a man for his very existence seems to imply that the government owns all of its subjects, body and soul. This campaign succeeded in organising mass non-payment of the hated poll tax, with million refusing to pay it thus forced it’s abolition and the resignation of Thatcher herself. A tax required as a qualification for voting.

Searching the BBC produces 3 for poll tax but just 2for community charge. Poll taxes in the United States. A poll tax is a tax levied as a fixed sum on every liable individual. Definition and synonyms of poll tax from the online English dictionary from Macmillan Education. This is the British English pronunciation of poll tax.

View American English pronunciation of poll tax. The introduction of the poll tax was widely unpopular from the outset, and increased when tax rates set by many local councils turned out to be much higher than initially predicted. In the biggest U-turn in British politics in a decade, Prime Minister John Major appears set to scrap the unpopular poll tax , which his predecessor, Margaret Thatcher, introduced in England and Wales only a year ago.

That and a markedly more conciliatory tone about European political and monetary union,. Proponents of this tax argue that it ensures that everyone bears the same tax burden, whereas scaled taxes provide a disincentive to make more money. Opponents point out that these taxes place an unreasonable burden on low-income individuals,.

Several countries utilized poll taxes throughout history, though they have not been very popular. Like the poll tax, the council tax would also take account of the number of adults in each household.

The law provided for voter registration, voting by mail, and a poll tax exemption for members of the armed services. By contrast, the community charge is a poll tax levied on all individuals aged or over. Change your default dictionary to American English. View the pronunciation for poll tax. The subjunctive was formerly used in English for situations that were improbable or that expressed a wish.

It is only rarely used in modern British English. It is, however, found in certain set phras. Case study the poll tax brit politics.

The ‘poll tax’ was a fixed tax per adult resident, although there was a reduction for poorer people, for the services provided in their community. Oxford Dictionaries as A tax levied on every adult, without reference to their income or resources.