Window tax History of taxation in the United Kingdom

when united kingdom of great britain came being on may 1, 1707, window tax, had been introduced across england , wales under act of making deficiency of clipped money in 1696, continued. had been designed impose tax relative prosperity of taxpayer, without controversy surrounded idea of income tax. @ time, many people opposed income tax on principle because believed disclosure of personal income represented unacceptable governmental intrusion private matters, , potential threat personal liberty. in fact first permanent british income tax not introduced until 1842, , issue remained intensely controversial 20th century.

when window tax introduced, consisted of 2 parts: flat-rate house tax of 2 shillings per house (equivalent £12.73 in 2016) , variable tax number of windows above ten windows. properties between ten , twenty windows paid total of 4 shillings (comparable £25.47 in 2016), , above twenty windows paid 8 shillings (£50.94 of 2016).