WHY DID KING Louis XVI RAISE TAXES?

Answer 1

Because France was bankrupt from helping the American colonists in their fight against Great Britain for their independence (The American Revolution).

France's treasury in the years immediately before the French Revolution was almost empty, and King Louis XVI was trying to remedy the kingdom's fiscal problems by raising taxes. Of course, the peasantry were the primary source of taxation, and Louis' raising of the tax was one of the contributing factors of the French Revolution.

Hope this helps,
Peace!

Answer 2

Louis XVI couldn't just "raise taxes." The monarchy had laws left over from the middle ages that said that the king could not levy new or unusual taxes without consent of the estates general. The three estates were the nobility, the clergy, and the commons. Because the kingdom had done so well, there had not been a need to call a meeting of the estates general for 600 years. When the government called the meeting of the estates general, the commons put forth demands for change and reform of the government. Louis's ministers tried to dissolve the estates. The delegates left the meeting room in the palace and went onto a tennis court outside. There, they took the "Oath on the Tennis Court" that they would not dissolve until there was change. The rest was the French Revolution.

Answer 3

When Louis had first ascended the throne, his chief financial officer was a man named Anne Robert Jacques Turgot (1727-1781), who was a brilliant and creative administrator. Turgot instantly set about trying to reform the country's financial situation by instituting a series of reforms that included replacing the corvée with a tax on landowners, an easing of guild laws to allow industrial manufacturing to increase, and, radically, a sharp cut in monarchical expenses. Had these reforms gone through, the Revolution probably would never have happened. These reforms, however, were the cause of the agitation by the Parlements in reasserting their veto rights—these Parlements were, of course, made up largely of nobility who would have to pay the new tax.

When the reforms failed, Louis dismissed Turgot. From that point onwards, the country would fall into ruinous financial crisis. At the heart of the crisis was the financial and administrative mismanagement of taxes. Both the Seven Years War and the French support of the American Revolution had put France deeply in debt; over one half of the country's budget was dedicated to paying off that debt. While this sounds extreme, it was fairly typical of European countries at the time

Answer 4

louis XVI decided to increase taxes because all the money was used up in the wars and no money was left to give to the money lenders which louis XVI has taken fr war ....so he started collecting more taxes frm third estate people.

Answer 5

he raised taxes cause the country was basically going broke but for good reason the years leading up tp the french revolution the French were streched a little thin thye had problems with a number of its neighbors including the Prussians and England that is kinda why no one stepped in during the Revolution

Answer 6

as all the money was used up in the wars and no money was left to maintain a big army, court etc. so he started collecting more taxes from third estate people

Answer 7

We also know what happened to the "aristocrats" . Louis was not elected by the peasants who want the aristocrats to pay more in taxes, Barry was.

Answer 8

Dave Moore and Nicki Williams posted the same question. You should read the answers side by side.

Answer 9

so he could have more money and plus the country was going broke