LAND-TAX, is an annual impost, which superseded all the former methods of rating either property, or persons in respect of their property, whether by tenths or fifteenths, subsidies on land, hydages, scutages, or talliagcs.
In the beginning of the civil wars between Charles I. and his parliament, the latter, having no other sufficient reve nue to support themselves and their measures, introduced the practice of laying weekly and monthly assessments of a specific sum upon the several counties of the kingdom, to be levied by a pound-rate on lands and personal estates, which were occasionally continued during the whole usur pation. After the Restoration, the ancient method of grant ing subsidies was only twice renewed ; for the monthly as sessments were now established by custom, they were rais ed by commissioners named by parliament, and, besides, produced a more certain revenue. These periodical assess ments, as well as the subsidies which preceded them, and the more ancient sewage, hydage, and talliage, were, to all intents and purposes, a land-tax, and were sometimes ex pressly called so. Yet an opinion has prevailed, that the land-tax was first introduced in the reign of king William III. because, in the year 1692, a new assessment, or valu
ation of estates, was made throughout the kingdom ; and, according to this valuation, the land tax has continued an annual charge upon the subject. The method of raising it, is by charging a particular sum upon each county, ac cording to the valuation given in A. D. 1692; and this sum is assessed and raised upon individuals, (their personal es tates, as well as real, being liable thereto,) by commission ers appointed in the act, being the principal landholders of the county, and their officers. Blackstone's Comment. b. i. ch. 8.
In the year 1799, the land-tax, which, as has been alrea dy observed, was formerly an annual tax, was made per petual, and offered for sale to the proprietors of the land, or to any other persons who chose to purchase it. In the course of the first year, after the passing of this act, up wards of 13,000,0001. was purchased; and, since that pe riod, a great proportion of the land-tax has been redeem ed. (ze