what was the poll tax?

Question

what was the poll tax based on

Answer 1

In the UK, it was nick-name for the community charge, a tax to pay for local councils. It caused uproar as prior to the poll tax, the old rates system, of local taxation, meant that your house had a ratable value and the home-owner, or head of household had to pay this amount annually. When this was changed to the 'community charge' everyone on the electoral role was expected to pay equally. The logic behind this was that everyone uses the councils services equally (lighting, bins being empted, street cleaning, libraries etc) so everyone should pay. It was nick-named the poll tax as the bill was sent to everyone on the electoral roll. In order to avoid paying it, people would not register to vote, hoping that they would not be sent a bill.

It was also seen as a way to prevent the people opposed to Conservative policies from voting.

the problem was, that 1 income families with 2 parents and 3 adult children suddenly had their tax bill increase 5 fold. Meanwhile a millionnaire living on his own, in a huge mansion up the road would only have to pay the one fifth of the amount as the 5 person household.

This literally lead to rioting in the streets and was instramental in the backlash that led to the ousting of Margaret Thatcher. (according to popular belief)

When John Major took over as Prime Minister he abolished the community charge, and introduced the council tax. which is loosely based on house value. This had been increased over inflation every year since.

Answer 2

First we had the Poll Tax which penalised everyone for just being alive in the country. Then that was replaced by the Council Tax which penalises every householder on behalf of everyone alive in the country. Both are unfair in different ways but the Council Tax is the most unfair. In effect a single person living in a council flat is paying for the education and local amenities for wealthy middle class folk and their kids. Is that fair?

Answer 3

Poll,literally means head.
Therefore poll tax means tax per capita.
clearly the fairest way to tax ,especially when compared to the rates system based upon rentable value of property.

The lates version of poll tax was in mrs thatchers manifesto of 1979 and again in the 1984 manifesto.So her intent was available for scrutiny by the majority that voted for her.

Unfortunately, anyone who was to be disadvantaged by this tax was to claim that it was unfair,even though many more ppl were actually advantaged by the poll tax and so obviously didnt find it necessary to protest.
Those who protested were often lower working class,or unemployed, and didnt completely understand the fairness and didnt really know how it would affect themselves.But their nature meant that they seized the opportunity to oppose anything that mrs thatcher introduced that became contraversial.Many just protesting because it was a fun day out.

It is also important to recognise the role of the local labour councils who took the opportunity to raise the level of poll tax locally and disproportionately to advantage themselves and then pass the blame on to central government.So in fact many residents of labour councils never really knew that it was their local leaders ripping them off and that they were probably better off with the poll tax.

Bulk thumbs down for this..truth hurts

Answer 4

A fundamentally fair principle - if you use services, you should pay for their upkeep.

Of course most peoples bills went up, as it did not factor in peoples ability to pay. Our household tax went from £200 ish to £1000 ish - which hurt. I paid it though.

Unfortunately, millions DID NOT pay their poll tax - and stil havent paid today.

The Council Tax has more of a income-weighting on it, but the bit I hate most is that a percentage of the Council Tax is made up of charges for Council Tax that OTHER PEOPLE havent paid.

So law abiding people like me are supporting the Chav, Criminal underlass who seem to get away with it, while pissed off Pensioners on fixed incomes are actually put in JAIL for refusing to pay.

Answer 5

Back in the old days it was a tax on a person, and not property.

Typically it was used as a means to try to prevent blacks and other minorities from voting.

In some language (I forget) poll meant "head." As in tax on a person. Then over time because this was primarily used in voting, the word "poll" became more closely associated with elections.

Primarlily, thought, it was used as a tax on voters as a means of making it too expensive for some groups to vote, thus excluding blacks and other minorities from voting.

Answer 6

The old name for the council tax.

Answer 7

About £24 a week

Answer 8

It was replaced by the Council Tax. (Sounded Better).

Answer 9

It was a tax in some New England states that only men had to pay. Use you're imagination as to why.

Answer 10

A poll tax was used to keep poor people from voting!